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DOC outlines —Washington Way— reforms; new correctional ombuds director details priorities
Summary
Department of Corrections Secretary Tim Lang and agency officials briefed the Senate Human Services Committee on the "Washington Way," reentry expansions, treatment and health-system modernization. Jeremiah Bourgeois, director of the Office of Correctional Ombuds, described OCO's statutory role and recent investigations and resource constraints.
Secretary Tim Lang, head of the Washington State Department of Corrections, told the Senate Human Services Committee on Jan. 13 that the agency is pursuing a cultural shift toward a "public health focused approach" it calls the Washington Way, with an emphasis on rehabilitation, staff safety and family-centered reentry supports.
The presentation highlighted several ongoing reforms. Lang said the department employs "over 9,000 Washingtonians" and described the Reimagine Visiting project, which produced 67 recommendations to improve family visits. He also told lawmakers the department has restored authority to impose community-custody sanctions "up to 30 days," the statutory maximum, after a pandemic-era temporary reduction to 15 days.
"The Washington Way is about bringing a public-health focused approach to corrections," Lang said, describing visits to Norwegian facilities and a focus on normalizing staff interactions with…
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