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