By Drew Johnson
Corrections1 Editor
Just days after the suspected murder of a Washington state corrections officer by an inmate, COs in the state are calling for a legislative change that would allow them to be compensated whenever they are assaulted by an inmate.
Corrections officer Jim Fletcher told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that the compensation should come from prisoners’ income, arguing that doing so would act as a deterrent.
As reported by the Post-Intelligencer, a lawyer for an officers lobbying group testified before the state Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections that the bill is about accountability and deterrence.
“DOC employees have the same right as any other employee to expect a safe work environment,” the attorney, Brandon L. Johnson, told the committee. “Being the victim of violent assaultive behavior is not part of the job description.”
According to the Post-Intelligencer article, the proposed bill would set inmate income deductions of 20 percent for gross wages, 15 percent from any gross gratuities, and 20 percent from all other deposits of inmates.