[{"_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",6390576,"mediaKeyId","2112221-d5df9e0f7436a376cdab23aea16cbd6d","parentId",2112221,"title","Bill would require DOC to make reasonable efforts to accommodate religious diets at no cost","audioSeconds",688,"startMs",3862000,"endMs",4550000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2112221-d5df9e0f7436a376cdab23aea16cbd6d&start=3862&end=4550","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2112221-d5df9e0f7436a376cdab23aea16cbd6d/thumbnail_3862000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6390576/Washington/Bill-would-require-DOC-to-make-reasonable-efforts-to-accommodate-religious-diets-at-no-cost","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6390576-0a07b407e52e92413ff9fa815a391212/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200822&Signature=LMHUuy4Js~0L-5rDuF0oCkCl~tZS4MFXau1J37Q4r7VgyJAPtw096AVDcSvKuTFmyVxalCRGdOStI9~BLoxwdLBKtZxfuVHW2depS6M7bCGQRsNPRULBcojvzm9M0rFLeiytwZXRq8aZCJNYXtuWa5CdiXy1Itw92RWWxAnFhh4FGPhwdf2EsSm8Cd31AR0Od2ViwMA8RqWwuNjvTr8PuN7wMyh0kahA-XQPI2YuUya3xaOXCflr9Eimq5XRjgCanbEGfPM0WoT1Dquppnk5cBJSa6uwWhEg-zRSFmrw1j3HNvxfmerQJZEt9dVSvB6keiZkxtu6jk0vA366suNdeQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Senate Human Services ","date","2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","article","Senate Bill 5131, sponsored by Sen. Claire Wilson, would require the Washington State Department of Corrections to make reasonable efforts to provide religious diets to incarcerated individuals at no cost and to coordinate with nonprofit partners for donated or special menu items. The Human Services Committee heard the bill and multiple witnesses.

Kelsey Ann, committee staff, summarized current DOC food‑service policy: at intake incarcerated people may select a religious diet (vegetarian, halal or kosher) at no cost; a later change of religious diet triggers a fee; therapeutic diets determined by medical review take precedence over religious diets unless declined. The bill would require DOC to attempt to provide religious diets at no cost, seek nonprofit coordination for donated items and allow a sponsor deadline not to exceed 30 days before a religious event.

DOC said it supports the policy intent but cautioned that the current draft contains provisions that would require significant funding and staffing. Danielle Armbruster, DOC assistant secretary for reentry, told the committee, \"The Department fully supports the policy of Senate Bill 5131,\" but DOC's internal estimate (shared as an illustrative figure) suggested large staffing and capital costs to prepare and deliver expanded religious meals and to add donation storage: the committee briefing cited an illustrative DOC estimate of $13.4 million for FY26–27 in personnel and $9 million in capital costs to expand kitchen and refrigeration capacity, and characterized those as illustrative estimates rather than final budget requests.

Religious advocates and chaplaincy groups urged the change. Matthew Perry, executive director of Jewish Prisoner Services International, said Washington does not currently deliver kosher meals that meet Jewish dietary requirements to some people who request them and that the bill would advance compliance with religious requirements.

Details and committee discussion
- Recognized religious diets now in policy include vegetarian, halal and kosher; the bill is silent on recognition of other religions in its current draft.
- The bill would require DOC to provide therapeutic diets that also accommodate requested religious diets when clinically appropriate.
- DOC offered to work with the sponsor and committee staff to narrow language and reduce the fiscal note while preserving the bill’s intent.

No committee vote was held during the hearing. Supporters said they would work with DOC to refine language and address cost and operational questions.

Ending
Supporters framed the bill as a safety‑ and culture‑building measure that can reduce tension in facilities by respecting religious practices; DOC asked for additional time to develop fiscally and operationally feasible implementation options.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Human Services - 1/14/2025 1:30 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 5131 would require the Department of Corrections to accommodate religious diets free of charge and permit coordination with nonprofit partners for donated or special menu items; DOC supports the policy but warned the current draft has provisions that would raise significant costs.","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},6390581,"Bill would remove $100 cap on DOC release transportation, allow coordination with non‑profits",1019,2806000,3825000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2112221-d5df9e0f7436a376cdab23aea16cbd6d&start=2806&end=3825","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2112221-d5df9e0f7436a376cdab23aea16cbd6d/thumbnail_2806000.jpg","/articles/6390581/Washington/Bill-would-remove-100-cap-on-DOC-release-transportation-allow-coordination-with-nonprofits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6390581-68beba0a7469981a9fe24cb6bc3c79a2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200822&Signature=KL~EZ1GYUoAH2v2~ecYsl6cpa5EjS-VG2Pu~WALVrpfHRXhPLG~r7Pmth9UO4yWZ3PKgpd62Z9KQuUQLKwsflLoakl1YZ--DcZxrIWoWS8gMkDlgSmjPUVW9K~ABIsZ-49FK32qF29N-PySnLya31~ydpTlHY0OiFHGPo2796IX7PxzRULy8K6dEvHHZJ3E9DhsmjSec~NoPlbnloMAi1JPmz8kZ2ZgH9rWKm~YGEUWmlHobwwRU-HJaM2FfG2HikBDVEV0sYOGhP2j1qSkEDtPDfoyA4rDhj2HAVTl94IiW5Snq9RFE55PL5KkUEh~AjV62LQgNY6lEw~BbdFKDkw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 5029, sponsored by Sen. Claire Wilson, would change state law that currently requires the Department of Corrections (DOC) to provide released people with transportation by the least‑expensive method of public transit not to exceed $100. The Human Services Committee heard a staff briefing and several supportive witnesses.

Kelsey Ann, committee staff, summarized current law and practice: historically DOC must provide suitable clothing, at least $40 in \"gate money,\" and transportation by the least expensive public transit method not to exceed $100 unless the superintendent finds the person has funds. \"Under the bill before you, the requirement that the public transportation provided by DOC at a person's release or discharge be the least expensive method not to exceed $100 is removed,\" Ann said, and the change would require DOC to make \"every effort to coordinate the timing of the individual's release ... with a partnering nonprofit organization that will support the individual's reentry.\"

DOC and community providers urged the change as a humane and practical step. Danielle Armbruster, DOC assistant secretary for reentry, told senators the initial 72 hours after release are critical and that cheap, indirect transit can create barriers to meeting supervision requirements or reaching housing or treatment appointments. \"Transportation upon release is critical yet often overlooked,\" Armbruster said. Jacob Ivan Schmidt, director of Just Us Solutions and a person with lived experience, said reentry is often experienced as acute fear and that simple reductions in stress — including coordinated, reliable transport — increase chances of successful return to the community.

Current usage and fiscal questions
Committee staff later provided a fiscal data point: in fiscal year 2024, DOC released 5,029 individuals and provided $90,559 in gate money under the then‑existing rules. The bill's fiscal note described indeterminate costs but assumed less than $50,000 per fiscal year; DOC and advocates said exact costs depend on how DOC structures coordination with nonprofit partners and whether DOC purchases rides by ride‑share, agency‑contracted transport, or other methods.

What the committee heard
- Sponsor: Sen. Claire Wilson framed the change as updating a 1971 limit that has not kept pace with transportation costs and public‑transit availability in a large and largely rural state.
- DOC: Danielle Armbruster supported the bill, called for clear language and coordination with reentry partners, and said the department had a minor suggested revision to the bill.
- Community testimony: Jacob Ivan Schmidt (Just Us Solutions) and remote witnesses from advocacy and legal organizations supported the measure as an evidence‑based step to reduce immediate post‑release risk.

No committee vote was taken during the hearing; proponents said they would work with committee staff on drafting and cost clarifications.

Ending
Sponsors and witnesses said they would provide requested follow‑up data to the committee and work on clarifying bill language about coordination and allowable transportation methods.","Senate Bill 5029 would remove a statutory requirement that the Department of Corrections provide the least‑expensive public transportation at release (capped at $100) and require DOC to coordinate timing with nonprofit partners when those partners support reentry. DOC and reentry providers testified in support.",{"_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},6390584,"Incoming DOC secretary briefs Human Services Committee on staffing, health care and reentry priorities",4334,839000,5173000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2112221-d5df9e0f7436a376cdab23aea16cbd6d&start=839&end=5173","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2112221-d5df9e0f7436a376cdab23aea16cbd6d/thumbnail_839000.jpg","/articles/6390584/Washington/Incoming-DOC-secretary-briefs-Human-Services-Committee-on-staffing-health-care-and-reentry-priorities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6390584-1eda452e90d48914f2fcc4ab27b0173a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200822&Signature=CUqRDS~nEE8Ep-6CYulSPW5xAFY-XSod8eeeRUUQMxt8VYL0NWBByBZFUNoeU4~H1BNuhEU~X1X7Jg8E0f73c2Bbjxu6t7QRhV6HojBd5rlayWoGqrySmlbSeY4QsH5HN3ZZNHjYAuloJe5eblLmljnra-6ioVvaCWmi0ecNLtewJQEyoBqQQEZTRic87adxw0lFRi072fze6vLNaDcvCt4xQRFrRKLcPbbdbhbEm-lwU6OkxaCBFI2RLv9v05QKcrUiQ3SW~3lnNnGiv1lrs2RDzZbNAvVtItElwCfIQUpnjbU-Tg471aKgxYsptuTFpjs6X3dmfovPcOzUcfZzaw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Human Services Committee heard a one‑hour work session Tuesday from leaders of the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC), including incoming secretary Tim Lang, who outlined the agency’s priorities for the coming biennium and described staffing and health‑care challenges affecting prisons, reentry and community supervision.

\"Our mission is to provide people opportunities to positively change their lives,\" Lang told the committee as he described the department’s focus on safe, humane facilities and successful transitions back to the community. Deputy Secretary Sean Murphy and assistant secretaries Danielle Armbruster (reentry) and Mac Peavey (community corrections) joined Lang for the presentation.

Committee members were presented with operational data, staffing pressures and several agency legislative requests aimed at addressing recruitment, overtime and service delivery.

Why it matters
DOC leaders said their top near‑term challenge is a staffing shortfall that has driven unprecedented overtime levels and strained facility operations. Murphy said the system has an \"operational capacity of 15,500 beds and a population in our 11 prisons at 13,000 individuals,\" and described mandatory overtime and relief‑staff shortfalls as a major driver of stress on staff and safety concerns.

Details presented to the committee
- Custody staffing and overtime: Murphy said DOC logged about 75,000 hours of mandatory overtime in 2024, with roughly 900,000 voluntary overtime hours and about 1,000,000 total overtime hours. The department told the committee its prior relief staffing formula had not kept pace with modern absence patterns and training needs.
- Health services and electronic health records (EHR): Murphy said DOC provides medical, behavioral health and dental care under DOC standards and is working on EHR implementation in coordination with a statewide effort (HC Max). Lang said full implementation is expected to take \"a few years\" and depends on funding and sequencing.
- Addiction and opioid treatment: DOC leaders said an estimated 25% of the incarcerated population has an opioid‑use disorder diagnosis while only about 10% currently receive medication for treatment under existing capacity; the governor’s budget requests expansion of medication‑based treatment.
- Aging population and specialty care: The department said the incarcerated population is aging, increasing demand for specialty care and transport resources; DOC reported a 28% increase in claims over the last two biennia.
- Reentry 2030 and Medicaid: Armbruster described Washington joining the national Reentry 2030 initiative and said the state aims for three goals: zero returns to homelessness, 40% post‑release employment, and 100% enrollment in Medicaid within 90 days pre‑release through an 1115 waiver partnership.
- Partial confinement and supervision reforms: DOC briefed committee members on agency request bills including supervision compliance credits (House Bill 1119) and alignment of partial confinement programs.

Questions from senators covered prison culture, civic engagement by incarcerated people, the SAGE medical unit move to Airway Heights, and constraints on local jail capacity for housing community‑custody violators.

Next steps and legislative asks
DOC said it will press several budget and policy items this session, including funding to address custody relief staffing, electronic health records, opioid treatment expansion, resentencing and virtual‑hearing staff, and conversion or reopening of reentry centers to state operation. Lang and DOC staff said they will continue to work with the Legislature on those proposals.

Ending
The committee closed the work session and moved on to two bill hearings scheduled later in the meeting.
","Tim Lang, governor‑elect’s pick to lead Washington Department of Corrections, and DOC leaders outlined staffing shortages, overtime, health‑care needs including electronic health records and opioid treatment expansion, and reentry goals tied to the national Reentry 2030 initiative.",{"_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},6390590,"Committee hears briefing on bill to speed pardons and clemency petitions for people facing deportation",7095,85000,7180000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2112221-d5df9e0f7436a376cdab23aea16cbd6d&start=85&end=7180","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2112221-d5df9e0f7436a376cdab23aea16cbd6d/thumbnail_85000.jpg","/articles/6390590/Washington/Committee-hears-briefing-on-bill-to-speed-pardons-and-clemency-petitions-for-people-facing-deportation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6390590-56595ff84a2fb3d0eccd03b21d83875e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200823&Signature=EvI18iei0kNtHUD1dCEc58P4uKcUKgPmh1ySMBeLZIJ~A1kWAr9Hco6p2w7Za1wsRCWd9iSTx0dq1D1gJdPV7LSRuDtxWyK7iRrNhdGQAZhMe2jhBVXJFZu7rni8kPEwRNJeYpJ5flPi8-mi2Gu2L3fTPz7rW6LfBM6GSvcrmwley7~sPW4is~hPhKrOV3-cHq0ufNFWVGewr8uCuI3nhhbzEr30rk8Y4suhNnQMNeH4-3lCZVtkcLERoUFeFGd5rMZfSGP2X8S~3rDRUU-r-5XbErh0dPjH16KRNjBG3gL87jxwYCvyjaCXzzXw0xcCsB7i-BbWWLzaSZphgcjmlQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 5103, which would create an expedited clemency process for petitioners who face an urgent deportation threat, was briefed Tuesday before the Washington State Senate Human Services Committee.

Will Tronson, staff counsel to the committee, told members that \"Senate Bill 5103 addresses the pardons and clemency process\" and that the measure would allow the Clemency and Pardons Board to use an expedited pathway when a petitioner indicates an urgent need, \"including but not limited to, a pending deportation order or deportation proceeding.\" Tronson said a fiscal note found no significant financial impact.

The bill matters, proponents said, because long‑time Washington residents with old criminal convictions can face mandatory removal under federal immigration law regardless of rehabilitation, family ties or community ties. \"Clemency is a critical tool to helping families keep families together and prevent unjust deportations,\" Senator Bob Hasegawa told the committee, urging members to consider the bill's potential to spare families \"permanent separation\" where deportation would be disproportionate.

Immigration‑defense advocates who testified said Washington's existing clemency pipeline is small and slow. Stacy Toiber, an immigration resource attorney with the Washington Defender Association, told the committee there is \"an urgent need for the Clemency and Pardons Board to have increased capacity and a capacity to hear pardons on an expedited basis for noncitizens who are facing imminent removal.\" She and others urged the board and the Legislature to prepare for increased removal enforcement.

Background and details of the proposal
Senate Bill 5103 would direct the Clemency and Pardons Board to offer an expedited review option where petitioners indicate urgency, such as a pending removal action. The committee's staff briefing reminded members that the Washington State Constitution grants the governor pardon power and that the Clemency and Pardons Board — created by the Legislature in 1981 — accepts petitions and recommends action to the governor. Under current practice the board holds quarterly public hearings and considers written materials submitted both for and against petitions.

Advocates and the sponsor cited several reasons the bill is needed: the board typically hears a small number of petitions each year (\"around 25 to 27 clemency cases per year,\" the sponsor said), many detained people have long ties to Washington (staff cited an estimate that about 37% of people detained at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma had lived in the U.S. 15 years or more as of March 2024), and federal removal law can make deportation mandatory for many convictions regardless of rehabilitation. The bill also clarifies that eligibility for a pardon, commutation, or restoration of civil rights will not depend on a petitioner’s immigration status.

What the committee heard
- Committee counsel: Will Tronson summarized the bill and its intent and said the fiscal note returned with no significant financial impact.
- Sponsor: Senator Hasegawa framed the bill as a response to immigrant communities vulnerable to enforcement and described organizations supporting the measure.
- Testimony: Stacy Toiber (Washington Defender Association) and other advocates urged expedited review capacity and said the board's current throughput and resources are insufficient to meet an urgent removal threat to long‑time residents.

No formal action was taken during the briefing; the bill was scheduled for future testimony and committee consideration.

Ending
Committee staff and proponents said they will provide additional materials and data to the committee as the bill moves through the process. Proponents asked the committee to consider both an expedited process and increased board capacity so that petitions filed in urgent circumstances can be reviewed before removal actions advance.","Senate Bill 5103 would create an expedited process for pardons, commutations or restoration of civil rights when petitioners face urgent deportation risks and clarifies eligibility regardless of immigration status. Committee staff briefed members and proponents urged faster review capacity for long‑time residents with old convictions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bill would require DOC to make reasonable efforts to accommodate religious diets at no cost

Bill would remove $100 cap on DOC release transportation, allow coordination with non‑profits

Incoming DOC secretary briefs Human Services Committee on staffing, health care and reentry priorities

Committee hears briefing on bill to speed pardons and clemency petitions for people facing deportation