[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6355028,"mediaKeyId","2219316-f97ca6447d61b728d83a088849f2146f","parentId",2219316,"title","Committee hears pilot to bring AMEND contact‑officer model to Washington State Penitentiary","audioSeconds",1662,"startMs",301205,"endMs",1963640,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2219316-f97ca6447d61b728d83a088849f2146f&start=301&end=1963","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2219316-f97ca6447d61b728d83a088849f2146f/thumbnail_301205.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6355028/Washington/Committee-hears-pilot-to-bring-AMEND-contactofficer-model-to-Washington-State-Penitentiary","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6355028-8d04fbe932b6ab4e7d2005a11b031a71/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167482&Signature=QvPwU6pFXgn-80dE~EY4u6kRGs-QzyoyQkA7r61KxBlKf79OTzVywoL4EdQ4C-YnLYKrc~3hRVffFesHfC2W2xTNFSP0IQwGQ0Opgj7x-GEa6s3I~lptD2BNoUz6foeA8~sqL9UFWPATFCSK5K9LitKBQ-Cxi5kBBrhSFoxSRh7yooKpZgZtftnS2S2WAEwUXd90Z~ACHg6HwJsABfVy0cu2hFmvjbv~URUhaJK9-SU6HF5bn2hf2QVKzEGtoruPvO9DuU7bn399H9SV50SWoX-hnxxNQnh868Nz6IwXVSVx6rbA-3Uu4nrVb~yn41W39lrL89i22~5K8EQZKuggag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Senate Human Services","date","2025-02-04T00:00:00Z","article","Senate Bill 5,409, sponsored by Senator Claire Wilson, received testimony on Feb. 4 in the Senate Human Services Committee. The bill would establish a four‑year pilot at the Washington State Penitentiary East Complex to implement a contact officer model developed in partnership with AMEND at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and known in international corrections practice for emphasizing staff mentorship, dynamic security and rehabilitative interactions.

Under the bill, the Department of Corrections (DOC) would establish a pilot at the Washington State Penitentiary East Complex, designate contact officers to mentor and coach a small number of incarcerated individuals, train correctional staff in dynamic security tactics, and initiate improvement projects. DOC would report annually to the governor and legislature on participants, improvements, behavioral patterns, differential outcomes and recidivism measures. The pilot would expire on June 30, 2030. A fiscal note indicates indeterminate costs greater than $50,000 per year and an estimate of about $1.7 million per biennium, mostly for DOC staffing.

Advocates and program partners described the model and early results: Kelsey Engstrom, senior program manager with AMEND at UCSF, said contact officers are trained mentors who develop relationships that improve facility safety, staff wellbeing and reentry outcomes; she said Washington would be the first U.S. corrections system to formally adopt dedicated contact officer positions based on the model. Courtney Grubb, Washington Way program administrator for DOC, said the department has trained more than 2,000 staff in introductory AMEND principles and is working in multiple prisons and reentry centers statewide.

Supporters argued that the model helps reduce harm, increase meaningful out‑of‑cell time, and support staff wellness. Jacob Ivan Schmidt and Raymond Williams of Justice Solutions testified in favor and described cultural changes and the historical basis for restorative practices.

Labor and staff representatives praised the goals but raised concerns. Brenda Wiest, vice president of Teamsters Local 117 (which represents about 6,000 DOC workers), said staff face “very acute needs” and questioned whether a small pilot inside a larger institution will create durable culture change; she warned the pilot could create “haves and have‑nots,” noted infrastructure and staffing concerns at the penitentiary and urged prioritizing investments in bargaining, PTSD presumptive coverage, critical incident leave and peer counseling. Teamsters asked for concrete staffing and funding commitments before broader rollout.

DOC officials, including Deputy Assistant Secretary Chuck Anderson, described the East Complex’s built environment and the department’s view that dedicated resources could transform the site’s culture and reduce negative interactions. Committee staff and sponsors asked DOC and partners to continue discussing implementation details, including staff selection, training intensity and metrics.

No final committee action was taken during the hearing. Supporters and opponents asked for additional follow‑up on funding, bargaining impacts and pilot selection criteria.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Human Services - 2/4/2025 1:30 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 5,409 would create a four‑year pilot at the Washington State Penitentiary East Complex to pilot dedicated contact officer positions and AMEND practices, with annual reporting and a June 30, 2030, pilot expiration.","taxTitle","Human Services, Senate, Legislative Sessions, Washington","taxId",20506,"location","Washington","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6355033,"Senate committee hears bill to align jail search rules for transgender and intersex people with PREA",2700,54950,2755675,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2219316-f97ca6447d61b728d83a088849f2146f&start=54&end=2755","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2219316-f97ca6447d61b728d83a088849f2146f/thumbnail_54950.jpg","/articles/6355033/Washington/Senate-committee-hears-bill-to-align-jail-search-rules-for-transgender-and-intersex-people-with-PREA","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6355033-7b8c9f929987b2f08d55b06d16b0ccdf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167482&Signature=POfOzQiADXIZ-h04vaZ05G0R8QDuJKo7gpggOC~sAAqY7svgeQqdqWCJLqi4WocZUgIl4LW08iHtOi9-bLxt2H9V6g1YocK~PLwOkBap~wdKA9~KR06dAnJ2sSUj2s~YdDW5RR42GrLVR~QlzMOPh~UN0uLgOCr3RB9DUUz3cLgalIWY1vBOwwwRsbn4ItIQgvSO1-oCjYr0EZHeGvCFYDdlkl-BXlCfFrLZqR6myX1FKAg7xTuNYGWryTy0-CAulrq1TXF3eb2z4NHZ3ji02vmoVSiOMtZJx9EG9vUsxsAgoiDeoYJzvLgzA824Xj7vm5w0uHHIRjE1nBCu~wZ9MA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senators on the Washington State Senate Human Services Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 5,490 on Feb. 4, a measure sponsored by Senator Manka Dhingra to require local jails to adopt search policies for transgender and intersex people that at minimum comply with the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) as of Jan. 1 of this year.

The bill would require that a search of a transgender or intersex person be done in one of these ways: by the individual's chosen gender of staff; only by a medical professional; by female staff only when an adult is searched by female staff; or in accordance with the individual's stated gender identity. The draft also requires policies that enable people in custody to shower, perform bodily functions and change clothing without non‑medical staff of the opposite gender viewing them, with narrow exceptions for exigent circumstances or incidental viewing during routine cell checks. The bill explicitly states that a jail’s inability to make a female correctional staff available for searches is not an exigent circumstance. The bill’s effective date is Sept. 1 of this year, and a fiscal note indicates costs to local governments.

Why it matters: Supporters said aligning state law with PREA fills a gap that leaves transgender, gender‑nonconforming and intersex people at elevated risk while in custody and gives correctional staff clear procedures to follow. Will Tronson, committee staff, told members the measure is intended to bring state law into step with existing federal standards. Senator Dhingra said the change was requested by the City of Kirkland and described the bill as a “simple” update to preserve rights and prevent regression in standards.

Supporters who testified included Penny Sweet, a Kirkland city council member, who said the city requested the legislation and that existing statutes from the 1980s do not adequately address the needs of transgender and intersex people. Danny Askingi, executive director of Gender Justice League, urged the committee to adopt the bill to reduce risk and humiliation for incarcerated transgender people. Ethan Frenchman of Columbia Legal Services and Jenna Comstock of the Q Law Association also testified in support, describing the disproportionate risk of sexual assault and humiliating treatment for transgender people in custody.

Law‑enforcement groups and jail associations also testified. James McMahon, policy director for the Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, said his group had worked with sponsors and provided suggested language to strengthen the bill. McMahon asked the committee to clarify distinctions between pat‑downs and strip searches and recommended statutory language to allow people in custody to choose the gender of the searcher when feasible, and to shield all people from view while showering or changing. He and others also proposed language to protect corrections personnel from being required to disclose their gender identity or to perform searches inconsistent with their own gender identity.

Concerns and open points: Testimony included a mix of support and requests for additional clarifications. Law‑enforcement witnesses asked for clearer statutory distinctions (for example, explicitly excluding body‑cavity searches from the corrections officer role and reserving those to medical personnel), and for operational flexibility to locate and train staff able to perform searches. Sponsors and advocates stressed that the bill is intended to provide minimum state standards that allow jails to implement PREA‑aligned, trauma‑informed practices.

The committee recorded public sign‑in counts at the end of the SB 5,490 hearing as 43 pro, 72 con and 1 other. The committee did not take a final vote during the Feb. 4 hearing.

The bill remains pending in the Senate Human Services Committee; sponsors and multiple stakeholders requested follow‑up conversations on implementation details and suggested amendments to address staff training, staffing availability and privacy protections.","Senate Bill 5,490 would require local jails to adopt search policies for transgender and intersex people that comply with the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act and to limit opposite‑gender viewing for showers and changing.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6355023,"Senate committee considers making DOC body‑scanner program permanent amid dispute over dry‑cell use",1583,2772760,4356325,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2219316-f97ca6447d61b728d83a088849f2146f&start=2772&end=4356","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2219316-f97ca6447d61b728d83a088849f2146f/thumbnail_2772760.jpg","/articles/6355023/Washington/Senate-committee-considers-making-DOC-bodyscanner-program-permanent-amid-dispute-over-drycell-use","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6355023-ac438c440a784ca8ea15b674f957d8f2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167482&Signature=jaufUJV19aiuRgZzRVMWpwVgHCfvC04rrzknaN2nTCNg03y2l9qXvbnWtDqL8yEpwkA~USJ6HSNLP3YUu9~xttPsGYmt~nzBUsdYWLOYP~p0H7iSEpN43keH2AxExlAH8xa38z7UzzD0PQQx7IIHgPw6QSNlinOoJnbUjKj3dLZeZ2CCmPp-aj9uVQbTJWMtEJYXvjps2b8IsdaBO81~qr9LREAX66p2aV6u992rVupGFTKdHWjuSVIZGyuIv0vjociFt~HIRlIitayi8BJD5cGKq7RuoJzAyBUQHqLb4Ueg955zhdS-iUdQ8n6Gk15M-zVgV~2XhCewX749wDMqWA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 5,499, sponsored by Senator Leonard Christian, was heard by the Senate Human Services Committee on Feb. 4. The bill would recodify and make permanent a Department of Corrections (DOC) body‑scanner program used to reduce strip searches, screen people entering the secure perimeter and detect contraband.

Committee staff described the pilot’s history: the legislature funded a first body scanner at the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) in 2018 and in 2022 directed expansion to a male facility and to include staff, contractors and visitors. The 2022 law required training, staffing standards and substance use disorder screening and treatment for people with scans indicating contraband. The SB 5,499 draft follows that 2022 law’s requirements while making the program permanent. A fiscal note attached to the bill showed $12.5 million for the 2025–27 biennium and $13 million ongoing, largely for staff.

DOC officials described program performance and operational details. Deputy Assistant Secretary Chuck Anderson said DOC performed 21,312 body scans on incarcerated people between November 2023 and October 2024; there were 129 positive scans, leading to contraband discovery 99 times. Melissa Andrzejewski, assistant secretary for DOC’s Women's Prison Division, said body scanners have “significantly reduced strip searches” on arrival after visits and off‑site trips and help preserve dignity for a population with high rates of prior trauma. DOC also described radiological dose levels and image clarity tradeoffs: the agency uses very low‑dose scanners (0.025 millirem per scan) that require interpretive skill, and higher‑resolution scanners would generate higher radiation doses per scan.

Opponents urged changes to the program or more safeguards. Molina Pinkham, a Columbia Legal Services staff attorney, testified in opposition and described what she called harmful uses of “dry cell watch” associated with positive scans. She said dry cell watch can involve 24‑hour observation while an individual is placed in a restraint‑style suit and confined in a small cell with continuous observation; she and other advocates told the committee such practices are traumatizing and can cause medical issues (for example, hygiene problems for women) and disproportionately affect survivors of sexual violence and people with certain medical histories. Multiple advocates and community members urged the committee to require reporting and stronger limits on dry cell use and to work with DOC to improve procedures.

Family members and survivor‑advocates spoke in support of codifying scanners as a trauma‑reducing alternative to strip searches. Laurie Dawson, a former member of the Family Council at WCCW, and Karen Lofgren, a former incarcerated person, described body scanners as restoring dignity, enabling visits without strip searches, and serving as a harm‑reduction tool. Sexual‑violence advocates supported codifying scans but asked the legislature to add reporting and safeguards to ensure dry cells are not a substitute trauma.

DOC and advocates agreed on the need for better data and clarified operational practices during Q&A: DOC staff described dry cells as isolation with continuous observation and a non‑flushing toilet intended to allow retrieval of contraband for safety if someone has ingested or inserted items. DOC officials said in many male facility cases staff have been able to persuade people to surrender contraband rather than use dry cell; they also agreed to provide additional data on false‑positive rates and dry‑cell numbers after the hearing.

The bill prompted questions about scanner radiation dose, false positives, staffing for scan operations and nursing monitoring for positive scans, and whether the state should fund scanners at additional facilities. No committee vote was recorded during the hearing; advocates said they would provide suggested amendments and additional data to the committee after the hearing.

","Senate Bill 5,499 would make permanent a Department of Corrections body‑scanner program that DOC says reduced strip searches and detected contraband; DOC reported more than 21,000 scans with 129 positives and 99 contraband recoveries in a 12‑month period.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6355018,"Committee reviews one‑year delay for licensing rules covering residential private schools",248,4380555,4629250,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2219316-f97ca6447d61b728d83a088849f2146f&start=4380&end=4629","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2219316-f97ca6447d61b728d83a088849f2146f/thumbnail_4380555.jpg","/articles/6355018/Washington/Committee-reviews-oneyear-delay-for-licensing-rules-covering-residential-private-schools","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6355018-7935a5ca98f91087201cd7621e11a89e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167482&Signature=LRbAkTZpVCnjVUPllhVXiqV2~-KtJXwZgKHcImgnkES73A0u8cp~RBI9Gox8Hx0CN8Bm3Eer2d6ftHKyMlEAXTlbIjp90G~c3rti3e8Ft29whKz88SAkqO7vk-f4Xigid1s7CWDnUVd~x~XqPyt08~hN1yoM3vA~lQLCkSAIeQVthcE1-sPHzRKIcQ8OchXi8VAKIo5KRovtT2L6nlFZoHbpR9hvBWIS6PV9UxG2uorKoOp9iQO4ujiq9S7XmODf37WfSP~UyGszSWsGwzSL3A87hYzwldBGGtkpTEfpFM0tCeey5UYZ~5QQVuPFHUBUIMqd8AqgrtQrzqvs4tfkcA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 5,506 was briefed to the Senate Human Services Committee on Feb. 4. Committee staff said the bill delays by one year the negotiated rulemaking and licensing requirements for living accommodations at residential private schools, moving the date from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2026, and contains an emergency clause so the change would take effect immediately upon enactment.

Background: Legislation enacted in 2023 required living accommodations provided by residential private schools to be licensed by the Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) effective July 1, 2025, unless the State Board of Education finds that a school's accreditor provides comparable standards. The 2023 law also directed DCYF to engage in negotiated rulemaking with the State Board and other stakeholders to adopt minimum health and safety rules.

Proponents told the committee they have largely completed negotiated rulemaking but need more time to finalize implementation. Susie Hanson, executive director of the Washington Federation of Independent Schools, said DCYF, the State Board of Education, accrediting agencies and schools have worked intensively, piloted aspects of implementation and asked for the one‑year extension to ensure a workable timeline. There was minimal discussion and no opposition testimony during the Feb. 4 hearing.

The committee did not take final action during the hearing; staff and the sponsor asked stakeholders to continue collaboration to finish rules and ensure compliance.","Senate Bill 5,506 would delay the negotiated rulemaking and effective date for licensing living accommodations at residential private schools from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2026; proponents told the committee the one‑year extension allows DCYF, the State Board of Education, accrediting bodies and schools to finish negotiated rules and a pilot.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee hears pilot to bring AMEND contact‑officer model to Washington State Penitentiary

Senate committee hears bill to align jail search rules for transgender and intersex people with PREA

Senate committee considers making DOC body‑scanner program permanent amid dispute over dry‑cell use

Committee reviews one‑year delay for licensing rules covering residential private schools