More information about the Office of the Corrections Ombuds can be found in RCW 43.06C
An independent, impartial public official appointed to receive and investigate citizen complaints against administrative acts of government.
The Office of the Corrections Ombuds (OCO) is an independent agency in the Governor’s Office that provides oversight of the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC).
The OCO investigates and attempts to resolve complaints about the health, safety, welfare, and rights of incarcerated people in DOC prisons and reentry centers. This office also provides self-advocacy information to incarcerated individuals and their family and friends.
No, the OCO is a separate agency from the DOC. The OCO is part of the Washington State Office of the Governor and reports to the Governor.
Yes! Communication with the OCO is confidential. Only the details needed to resolve the concern will be shared with DOC. DOC does not have access to complaints made to the OCO.
We conduct monitoring visits, review systemic concerns, issue recommendations, and provide input on DOC policies. We publish reports on systemic topics, negotiated outcomes, and individual investigations.
The OCO is also part of a national network of prison oversight entities.
The incarcerated individual should reasonably attempt to resolve the concern with DOC. For grievable issues, submit a resolution request through the DOC Resolution Program. For appealable issues, submit an appeal through the appropriate channel.
The OCO will review and verify written documentation that you have attempted to address the issue through DOC processes prior to investigation. If the person has attempted to address the issue with DOC but is experiencing delays or roadblocks, communicate that information when filing a complaint with the OCO.
OCO Hotline: The OCO free, confidential hotline is reserved for incarcerated individuals to report a concern or provide updates to an active case.
Monday – Thursday 1:00-3:00pm
Mailing Address: Send a complaint form or letter to the OCO. OCO complaint forms are available at each facility.
PO Box 40009 Olympia, WA 98504
Online Complaint Form: Family and friends can use the online complaint form at OCO.WA.GOV. We encourage family and friends to use the online complaint form in order to keep the hotline open and available for the incarcerated population.
OCO staff will review the complaint to ensure jurisdiction and if the complaint fits within OCO’s investigation priorities. A team of staff triage incoming cases for urgent, emergent, and time sensitive concerns.
If the concern has met OCO’s intake requirements, the complaint will then be assigned to a caseworker for investigation. Regardless of investigation type, all complaints are documented in OCO’s case management system for long-term tracking and often contribute to the office’s systemic work.
Depending on the case, OCO staff will verify the complaint and review relevant DOC policies, documentation, and evidence. If a violation of policy is confirmed, the OCO may speak with DOC staff if necessary to gather more details and attempt to resolve the concern.
The OCO may negotiate an outcome with DOC or make recommendations. Current statute does not grant the OCO enforcement authority.
The OCO will close the case and send the incarcerated individual a letter explaining OCO’s actions, findings, and the outcome of the casework.
If the complaint did not meet OCO’s intake requirements, the person will receive a letter with more information about self-advocacy options, OCO’s limitations, or other relevant details.
An anonymous summary of the case will appear in the OCO Monthly Outcome Report for public transparency.
The OCO has authority to open an investigation into concerns related to the health, safety, and welfare of incarcerated individuals.
The OCO is a small team that receives hundreds of complaints every month. For individual investigations, the OCO has a list of casework priorities, which were developed by surveying the incarcerated population and community partners. While we opens investigations into many topics, the OCO assigns investigations based on these priorities:
Healthcare
Solitary Confinement
Level 3 Resolution Requests and Appealable Concerns
Uses of Force
Staff Conduct
Major Infractions and BOEs
The OCO cannot assist with complaints that are not DOC actions, including court actions, sentencing and convictions, actions by another state agency, complaints against third party vendors, and issues related to a county jail.
We may also decline to investigate a complaint based on lack of information, evidence, and staffing. We are a small team of 10 people serving incarcerated people across all of Washington State.
If administrative remedies were not pursued with DOC prior to filing a complaint with the OCO, we will send self-advocacy information to the incarcerated person and more information about their next steps. The person can later open an OCO case if DOC processes do not resolve the issue.
The OCO cannot provide legal aid or advice. The OCO attempts to negotiate and mitigate complaints at the lowest level and seeks to resolve issues before they become litigation. Part of OCO’s statutory role is to address issues, effectively reducing litigation against DOC.
OCO investigations and negotiations are not formal criminal or legal investigations or arbitration; OCO investigations are administrative in nature.
The OCO does not have authority to issue formal reprimand/dismissal of DOC staff or financial compensation (tort claims are handled through DES).
We cannot contact your lawyer on your behalf and will not share confidential or protected information with outside parties related to OCO investigations.
The OCO is not an emergency service. If you have an emergency or urgent concern, please address this with the facility first. The OCO team will triage incoming cases to identify urgent, emergent, and time sensitive concerns.
Each case is unique, so we are unable to give official timelines for investigation. As investigations are complete, a de-identified summary of the concerns, actions, and outcomes are provided in a monthly outcome report and a closing letter with more details is sent to the incarcerated individual.
You can report this concern about retaliation to the OCO. By law, incarcerated individuals are allowed confidential access to the OCO without retaliatory action from DOC.
The OCO has a very small team of caseworkers and are not able to speak with every individual who has an open complaint. OCO staff will reach out to incarcerated individuals via scheduled phone call or in person visit if required for the case and as capacity allows.
If you have updates related to an active OCO investigation, you can call the OCO hotline or write to us and we will document the updates for your caseworker to review.
If you receive a closing letter about a complaint you filed with the OCO and you are unhappy with the outcome, you can request an OCO Closed Case Review (CCR) via hotline or mail.
We will follow up with a CCR Form which you will fill out and mail back to the OCO. A team of experienced investigators will review the closed case to ensure the case was handled appropriately.
If OCO finds the case was handled appropriately, the case will be closed. If we find there was a missed opportunity to try to resolve the issue, we will reopen the case for further investigation.
The OCO cannot advocate for DOC actions that conflict with DOC policies, state law, or federal statutes. The OCO does not have enforcement authority and often relies on mediation with DOC to resolve individual concerns.
Yes. By law, the OCO is allowed access to all DOC records needed for official investigation. Due to federal guidelines, a signed release of information is required for records related to mental health, MOUD/MAT/SUD, and SOTAP.
The OCO also has access to DOC’s OMNI database to verify information.
The OCO cannot provide records from other agencies, including DOC. DOC records can only be attained by filing a public records request through the DOC. Communications between the OCO and DOC related to investigations are considered confidential.
You can request case records related to your individual OCO investigation by filing a public records request with the OCO. Incarcerated individuals can submit a public records request to OCO via mail or hotline. Friends and family members can submit a public records request through OCO’s website.
The OCO can receive updated information from family, friends, and lawyers. However, since it is difficult for us to confirm an external person’s identity, we caution on only sharing investigative details with the incarcerated individual.
If you received a closing letter that stated DOC agreed to make a change but they did not take action, please follow up with the OCO to report that update. We often will open a new investigation to see why the agreed upon actions were not completed and further attempt to resolve the issue.
The OCO’s statute does not grant enforcement authority, therefore, the OCO cannot force DOC to act on a recommendation. We rely on investigations and mediation to address issues with DOC.
