Incarceration

97 Stories

Government

Family visits resume at King County jails, but staffing shortages remain a major hurdle

In-person visits are scheduled to begin again Monday for people held at King County’s jail in downtown Seattle. It’s the first time family members have been able to visit face-to-face at that facility since the Covid pandemic began. In October, the county resumed family visits at the second adult jail in Kent. But critics and jail officials say short staffing is still constraining their operations.
Amy Radil
Law & Courts

After incarceration, these voters have a voice

A new group of voters are eligible to participate in the upcoming midterms. Voting rights were restored to formerly incarcerated felons in Washington when new legislation went into effect early this year. Christopher Poulos from the Department of Corrections is here to talk about the new law and its impact on the community.
Patricia Murphy

Jennie Cecil Moore
Government

Suicide and staffing issues at King County Jail, ‘a radioactive subject’

“There have been twice the number of suicides in the King County Jail system since the beginning of 2020 than there were in the prior eight years.”
Kim Malcolm

Andy Hurst
Arts & Life

From prison chain gang to art world notoriety, the life and work of Winfred Rembert

‘We had been married over five years before he decided that he would even mention to me what had happened. I just knew he was having trouble sleeping. And this is the kind of torture that followed him until he died.’
John O'Brien
Government

King County public defenders & corrections officers see eye-to-eye on Covid crisis in jails

‘The situation we have at the jails right now is kind of a perfect storm. You had chronic understaffing at the jail, which ran headfirst into this new Covid variant.’
Kim Malcolm

Andy Hurst
Government

This UW pediatrician has helped young people for 30 years. Now, he's on a mission to end youth incarceration

‘There's really no bit of evidence that really substantiates in any particular way, the value of youth incarceration.’
Kim Malcolm

Andy Hurst
Law & Courts

WA attorney general sues to close Tacoma immigrant detention center

Washington state's attorney general is suing to try to force the immediate closure of the Northwest ICE Processing Center (NWIPC) in Tacoma.
Paige Browning
Environment

UFOs, gray wolves, and restorative justice, this week

Bill Radke reviews the week’s news with Crosscut reporter Hannah Weinburger, South Seattle Emerald publisher and Seattle Times columnist Marcus Harrison Green, and Crosscut's Editor-at-Large Knute Berger.
Bill Radke

Sarah Leibovitz

Alec Cowan
Arts & Life

June 10 | Great blue herons have made their home at the Ballard Locks

Every year blue herons make their nests along the water in Ballard. And every year the Heron Habitat Helpers are there to assist. Ross Reynolds spoke to two of those volunteer helpers last week - father daughter pair Mike and Linda Marsh about why they spend their time helping blue herons. Plus, why prison populations are decreasing, if college athletes will ever be paid in Washington, and a radioactive musical.
Bill Radke
Government

Suicide warning signs missed at Washington prisons, investigation finds

For the second time in less than a year, Washington’s Corrections Ombuds (OCO) is warning that the state’s prison system needs to do more to prevent...
Austin Jenkins

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