By Eileen Griffin-Ray
The Washington Senate passed a bill in February that will allow convicted criminals to be released early, My Northwest reports.
Democrats supporting the bill refer to it as prison reform and they claim it will help incarcerated people “transition back into society” with greater ease. SB 5219 was requested by the Office of the Governor.
The bill is designed to release criminals before their sentence has been completed, or to allow partial confinement for the remainder of their incarceration.
Incarcerated individuals would be allowed to petition for a reduced sentence if the original sentence is deemed inconsistent with “interests of justice” as determined by a judge, KIRO reports. Currently, there is no clear definition of what “interest of justice” leaving judges with a great deal of discretion.
“The legislature finds that aligning participation timelines for programs will allow incarcerated individuals to engage in the program best suited for their individual circumstances,” the bill reads.
There are various programs or options that the convicted criminal would be able to choose should this become law.
“Community custody” means that portion of an offender’s sentence of confinement in lieu of earned release time or imposed as part of a sentence under this chapter and served in the community subject to controls placed on the offender’s movement and activities by the department.”
A work release program is also a listed option. This would result in partial confinement with offenders able to leave prison to go to a job or to take a class.
Another program designed for incarcerated individuals who are parents, the Community Parenting Alternative Program, encourages interaction between the prisoner and the child.
Opponents expressed concern that criminals would use the program without any real commitment to the child.
Senator Leonard Christian (R-Spokane Valley) proposed an amendment to ensure that a relationship between the parent and child actually exists before being allowed to participate in the program, but that amendment was not approved. Other amendments proposed by Republicans to put additional protections in place for the public were disregarded.
Republicans in Olympia, and one House Democrat, have expressed concern for crime victims and the prioritization of the rights of criminals over the rights of the victims.
“As currently construed, this bill provides justice only for the person who has caused harm, Rep. Lauren Davis (D-Shoreline) said during the House debate on the corresponding House bill. “It’s not that I don’t see the rehabilitation of some of our incarcerated individuals—I do. But there’s a victim on the other side of this. I see their brokenness too. Their wounds matter too.”
The bill passed in the Senate by party vote. All Democrats are in favor of it and all Republicans are against it. Governor Ferguson (D) has already voiced his support of early release efforts.
This isn’t the first time elected officials in Washington have been accused of prioritizing the rights of criminals over the rights of the community they are elected to protect.
Prisoners started being released from prisons in Washington state in 2020, Heartland Daily News reported. Between early release programs and “soft-on-crime” prosecutors, the Department of Corrections reduced its population and began closing prisons.
In 2021, Washington Democrats passed legislation amending state law to conditionally release sexually violent predators and pedophiles into counties across the state, The Post Millennial reported at the time.
McNeil Island began housing sex offenders when the Department of Social and Human Services built a facility, called the Special Commitment Center, in 2004. The remote island facility is home primarily to those who meet the legal definition of a ‘sexually violent predator’ and are likely to continually engage in sexual violence.
People housed in the facility may have completed their prison sentence but are considered mandatory civil patients at McNeil for their own good, or for the protection of others. In 2021, McNeil residents were released and distributed to communities around the state.
Additional legislation aimed at improving the lives the criminals has continued. In May of 2023, Governor Jay Inslee (D) signed House Bill 1470 which required the Department of Health to improve health and safety rules at prison facilities.
At the end of 2024, Sen. Rebecca Saldaña (D-Seattle), proposed Senate Bill 5005, King 5 reports. This bill would create an independent jail oversight body to monitor jail standards and to investigate problems affected inmates. If adopted, the Governor’s office would add a new board comprised of seven people to ensure the care and comfort of Washington’s criminals.
Legislators in Olympia seem to spend a great deal of time protecting criminals and working to make their lives easier. The rest of the state’s population is desperately hoping to be allowed to use their gas stoves, retain their initiative rights, and not get charged an extra mileage tax for driving their own vehicles on public roads.
