By Jordan Scrader
The Olympian
WALLA WALLA, Wash. — With Washington running out of room for inmates, Gov. Jay Inslee wants to start operating new space that is ready for use at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.
And just a few years after lawmakers closed three prisons, the governor also indicated he’s on board with prison officials’ call to start planning for a new one.
Money in the budget he unveiled Tuesday would pay for pre-design studies of a men’s prison in south Thurston County and a new building at the women’s prison near Gig Harbor. Some state lawmakers are skeptical.
State prison projections for the rest of the two-year budget cycle shot up in November by more than 300 inmates.
“We’ve done some good things in the state of Washington to try to find ways to look at (release of) nonviolent offenders,” Inslee told reporters Tuesday. “Even though we’ve made those efforts we still have this increased population, and there’s really no other way to deal with this that recognizes federal law.”
The 256-bed unit ready to be opened at the penitentiary in Walla Walla would cost $5 million to operate.
Full story: More prison space needed in state, Gov. Inslee says