The Office of the Corrections Ombuds (OCO) is actively participating in the Washington State Office of Equity's Pro-Equity Anti-Racism (PEAR) Teams.
Governor Jay Inslee signed Executive Order 22-04, which included creating the Washington State Office of Equity. The Office of Equity is charged with:
- Helping agencies meet their reporting requirements
- Holding the agencies accountable for compliance with the order
- Reporting compliance to the Legislature and the Governor
The OCO agrees with Governor Inslee's words in Executive Order 22-04 that, Washington is a state where all are welcomed and will have the opportunity to thrive regardless of race, ethnicity, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, sex, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, or the presence of sensory, mental, or physical disability.
The OCO is tasked with:
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Founding a PEAR team
OCO Team Leaders are:
Tianna Cain: Tianna is a member of the community and a former OCO Employee. She is a friend and family member to several people both previously and currently incarcerated in the Washington Department of Corrections.
Finn Shinnick: Finn is an Early Resolution Ombuds 2 with the OCO and a member of RAIN Best Practices. They volunteered to do PEAR work because they believe all systems need to be examined with an anti-racist lens.
Zachary Kinneman: Zak is an Community Relations Specialist with the OCO and is following PEAR issues concerning the aging and elderly incarcerated population.
E.V. Webb: E.V. is an Assistant Corrections Ombuds - Investigations with the OCO.
Elisabeth Kingsbury: Elisabeth is the Deputy Director of the OCO.
Sara Appleton: Sara is the QA & Training Manger for the OCO and joined the office in 2022 from the HHS Ombudsman for Medicaid Managed Care in Texas.
The OCO PEAR Team Leaders are committed to partnering with people and communities impacted by our programs with the goal of listening, planning, and beginning to bridge gaps and reduce disparities.
- Conducting an Equity Impact Review (Due August 1, 2022)
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Creating and implementing a PEAR Strategic Action Plan (Due September 1, 2022)
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Preparing a PEAR Annual Performance Report annually beginning September 1, 2023
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Updating the agency’s PEAR Strategic Action Plan annually
The OCO hopes to partner with empathy-centered community members to embed the PEAR Framework in all agency decision making and actions. All are welcome; we hope you will join the OCO's PEAR team. If you would like to learn more, please email the OCO PEAR Team. Thank you!
