The Washington State Prison System

Washington has prisons to accommodate persons sentenced to imprisonment. The correctional facilities serve to hold criminals for the period of incarceration, to remove those individuals from the general populace while providing the offenders an opportunity to achieve reform. The prison facilities are for prisoners with a minimum of one year sentence.

Washington has 12 prison facilities run by the Washington State Department of Corrections (WADOC). This department directly administrates the state’s prison facilities and organizes correctional programs for persons in the community.

What is the Difference Between Jail and Prison in Washington?

A jail and a prison in Washington serve a similar purpose but not to the same extent. Jails hold criminals with short incarceration time, ranging from a day to less than a year. Jails accommodate accused persons who have to be detained before a trial and persons guilty of misdemeanors. Jails in Washington are run by the local law enforcement agency, the Police Department in the cities, or the Sheriff’s office.

On the contrary, prisons are long term accommodation, usually lasting from one year to over 25 years. Offenders guilty of felony offenses and sentenced to imprisonment for over a year, and offenders awaiting capital punishment spend imprisonment sentence in prison. The Washington State Department of Corrections (WADOC) manages prison facilities.

How Many Prisons are in Washington?

There are 12 prisons in Washington, namely;

• Airway Heights Corrections Center (AHCC): Three custody levels; minimum, minimum MI3, and medium.

11919 W. Sprague Ave
Airway Heights, WA 99001–1899

• Cedar Creek Corrections Center (CCCC): One custody level; minimum.

12200 Bordeaux Rd
Little Rock, WA 98556–0037

• Clallam Bay Corrections Center (CBCC): Three custody levels: medium, close and maximum

1830 Eagle Crest Way
Clallam Bay. WA 98326

• Coyote Ridge Corrections Center (CRCC): Three custody levels; minimum, medium, and long-term minimum

1301 N Ephrata Ave
Connell, WA 99326

• Larch Corrections Center (LCC): One custody level; minimum.

15314 NE Dole Valley Rd
Yacolt. WA 98675–9531

• Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women (MCCCW): One custody level: minimum.

3420 NE Sand Hill Rd
Belfair. WA 98528

• Monroe Correctional Complex (MCC): Four custody levels; minimum, medium, close, and maximum.

16550, 177th Ave
Monroe. WA 98272

• Olympic Corrections Center (OCC): One custody level; minimum.

11235 Hoh Mainline
Forks. WA 98331

• Stafford Creek Corrections Center (SCCC): Three custody levels; Minimum, Medium, and maximum.

191 Constantine Way
Aberdeen. WA 98520

• Washington Corrections Center (WCC): Three custody levels: medium, close, and maximum.

2321 West Dayton Airport Rd
Shelton, WA 98584

• Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW): Three custody levels; minimum, medium, and close.

9601 Bujacich Road, NW
Gig Harbor, WA 98332–8300

• Washington State Penitentiary (WSP): Four custody levels; minimum, medium, close, and maximum.

1313 North 13th Ave,
Walla Walla. WA 99362

How do I search for an Inmate in Washington State Prison?

The Washington State Departments of Corrections provides access to state, county, and municipal records of inmates through the Inmate Data Search feature. Interested parties can search for an inmate by entering the inmate’s last name or DOC number. The DOC number is a six-digit identification number delegated to every inmate in prisons run by the Washington State Departments of Corrections.

To find other information about current and former inmates and supervisees, parties can visit the WADOC headquarters at:

7345 Linderson Way SW
Tumwater, WA 98501–6504
P. O. Box 41100
Contact: (360) 725–8213
DOCCorrespondenceUnit@doc.wa.gov

Are Incarceration Records Public in Washington?

Following the Washington Public Records Act, which implies that documents generated by public agencies should be made available to the public, incarceration files in Washington are public. However, conviction history records of less than one year are inaccessible to the general public. Also, there’s restricted access to criminal files involving sex or kidnapping that are less than a year old.

Records that are considered public may be accessible from some third-party websites. These websites often make searching simpler, as they are not limited by geographic location, and search engines on these sites may help when starting a search for a specific or multiple records. To begin using such a search engine on a third-party or government website, interested parties usually must provide:

• The name of the person involved in the record, unless said person is a juvenile
• The location or assumed location of the record or person involved. This includes information such as the city, county, or state that person resides in or was accused in.

Third-party sites are independent from government sources, and are not sponsored by these government agencies. Because of this, record availability on third-party sites may vary.

How to Look Up Jail Records in Washington?

Washington jail records incorporate details of individuals serving a jail sentence in any of the correctional facilities. Interested persons can use the inmate data search, which provides complete and accurate data on incarcerated persons such as the inmate’s name, DOC number, and the facility where the inmate is currently serving jail time. There is also an option for citizens to receive notification concerning a particular convict.

Can Jail Records be Expunged in Washington?

Washington only permits the expungement of non-conviction criminal records. That is, files only states the incident and does not include the disposition of the case. According to RCW 10.97.060, offenders can request to delete non-conviction history records if the following conditions are met;

• Three years have passed since the time of the arrest.
• Two years have gone by since the entry of the data
• No pending or prior conviction
• No arrest or charges within the waiting time for deleting the record