Spokane7
50°
November 10, 2010 in City
State makes plans for prison layoffs
Cuts at Washington state prisons will eliminate about 45 jobs at Airway Heights Corrections Center and could cancel a rehabilitative program designed to prepare inmates for reentry to society.
“It’s going to have very real impacts,” said Department of Corrections Secretary Eldon Vail. “It’s just a tough time.”
Eldon visited the prison Wednesday to discuss nearly $53 million in cuts the Department of Corrections could have to make as the state looks for ways to balance its troubled budget.
Rehabilitative programs at the state prisons will be reduced, including the possible elimination of the Right Living program, which was introduced in 2007 to teach inmates how to interact positively in the community. Inmates live under rules that prohibit swearing and horseplay and require them to refer to each other as “mister.”
Airway Heights was the first prison in the country to implement the program prison-wide. Cutting it will save about $500,000 each year, Veil said.
“It’s better than cutting the officers on the perimeter,” Vail said.
Other proposals include closing the minimum-security Larch Corrections Center in Clark County on Feb. 1, and eliminating a deputy secretary, captains at minimum-security prisons, kitchen staff positions, a deputy secretary and emergency response managers responsible for overseeing crisis planning and policy implementation at major prisons, including Airway Heights. The position was introduced within the last five years, Vail said.
Airway Heights will lose 20 to 25 state employees and about 19 contract workers, said Maggie Miller-Stout, prison superintendent. About 700 people work at the prison.
The cuts come as prison officials investigate how a man who killed his cellmate at the Spokane County Jail in 2004 attacked two cellmates at Airway Heights last month.
Michael L. West, 34, remains in solitary confinement at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla, where he spent nearly five years after being convicted of first-degree murder for the attack on his jail cellmate. He underwent mental health treatment and was described as “a cooperative and appropriate patient” in January, although officials said in August he’d refused in-depth counseling, according to prison records.
West arrived at Airway Heights on Sept. 28.
On Oct. 10, prison staff members say he gouged out cellmate Chad E. Bolstad’s left eye and severely injured his right eye.
Another cellmate, Gary L. Welch, suffered minor injuries.
West is not scheduled to be released until 2048.
The DOC does not have a policy that prohibits killers convicted of attacks on cellmates from living with someone again, Vail said. The DOC is investigating West’s case but has not implemented any immediate policy changes.
“You try not to make sweeping policy changes based on one bad incident,” Vail said.
Vail said the fact that attacks like that don’t happen more often is a testament to his staff.
“You’ve got to think of who you’re dealing with here,” Vail said. “Bad things happen in our facilities from time to time. We’re really good at not having them happen all the time.”
He said the proposed cuts won’t make that easier.
“It increases the risk, I would not deny that,” he said.
Human trafficking suspects released 
misjustice on November 10 at 7:28 p.m.
No new taxes, no new taxes!
This is what happens, folks. Just wait till the prison-industrial-complex starts “early release” programs; sending maladjusted felons out into society.
On the bright side, maybe with a broke state, less pot smokers will get jail time. Naw, that won’t happen; there’s money to be made in the “war on drugs”.
Bob_Knows on November 10 at 7:45 p.m.
The US has more men in prisons, and a higher percentage of men in prisons, than any other nation in the history of the human race. Something is VERY, VERY, VERY wrong with the Criminal Injustice System. Its time to lay off 3/4 of the prison guards and close the prisons. Its time to rethink the whole Injustice system. Far too many men are being destroyed by police state tyranny.
liarsinnews on November 10 at 8:29 p.m.
I guess what I don`t understand is why all levels of government fail to eliminate non-essential departments. Or why the bureaucrats seem to allow junkets that accomplish nothing other than a freebie for someone to take a trip. I suppose its the usual blackmail pushing the hot buttons and setting up for a tax increase instead of tightening the belt where cuts can be made.
selkirks on November 10 at 9:39 p.m.
@Bob_Knows: “…police state tyranny.” Seriously, only in Spokane. Really?
@dick adams: Where, specifically, would these “cuts” be made?
D Statler on November 10 at 9:55 p.m.
I hope this means the money grubbers at Spokane County Jail won’t be asking for a new pad this year too. The voters have spoken about your taxes and corrupt systems of justice. You need more $$$? Look no further than the 4.6 million dollars that were funneled into unauthorized accounts from drug seizures by “SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNITS”. Don’t forget to account for the extra $600,000 spent by the DRUG UNITS that lacked documentation. I am saddened by the way Spokane and it’s residents are spoon fed mis-information by our public officials. Now most of our HONEST news reporters are being musseled around and out of the buisness. The information I posted here is taken directly from the Spokesman Review’s Feb. 12,2009 article writen by Jody Lawrence Turner. This is just about the time the Review forced out some of their best public watchdogs.I miss having Reporters like Karen Dorn Steele and some of the others sent packing here helping to keep our public officials honest. The Cowles family must of had pretty good incentives (RPS & parking garage) to let their best reporters go.
Liberty_Bell on November 10 at 9:59 p.m.
yea misjustice,
Don’t cut those taxes, we need to hire another felon?
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2010/10/29/1229010/region-yakima-deputy-accused-of.html
D Statler on November 10 at 10:13 p.m.
selkirks, I would start cutting at the top and then look down. Don’t need to be a brain surgeon to figure that one out. Take two top managers and keep FOUR actual workers. Stop the malicious unfounded prosecutions and this will free up jail space and court dockets locally. This in turn will free up resources state wide. Plenty of real threats to go after without waisting precious resources like the drug and gang task forces do in Spokane county. Put the rest of the minimum and medium security inmates to work for their keep.Probably an elevator repairman housed down there right now LOL! You seem to attack everybody that posts on here.Maybe you could funnel that energy into straightening out that mess downtown and leave those of us exercising our free speech alone. :^) ThankYou
Dazzeetrader11 on November 11 at 1:52 a.m.
Cut the budget. No new taxes. Libs..you’ve overspent. Period.
This didn’t come up before. Relax the laws, figure out a half way situation, Non violent people don’t belong in the country jail. etc etc. Thinking better will make things better.
This county jail won’t get built…not for 20 years. In the interim, better ways of dealing with crime must be generated. I hope it will.
Meanwhile…fire Ozzie. There’s a start…
Bob_Knows on November 11 at 7:26 a.m.
Washington is one of the few states where they send men to prison for life for the “crime” of being a “potential rapist.” Once accused the man has to “prove” he “not guilty” of being a potential criminal. Not posilbe. To be accused is to be guilty and sent to hell for life.
They have a whole prison for “potential” criminals.. Its time that evil our men-hating sow in Olympia closes her “potential criminal” hellhole for men.
Bob_Knows on November 11 at 7:31 a.m.
Anyone remember when Dixie Lee Ray fired all the cooks and maids at the Governor’s mansion? Don’t expect Governess Haywire to start at the top.