OCO Monitoring Visits: The practice of routinely inspecting all correctional institutions to assess and report on the facility conditions and treatment of people who are incarcerated. All facilities are inspected, not just those with known problems. Monitoring is critical for ensuring the safety of all people inside. It is a proactive process meant to provide early identification of concerns about conditions and ill-treatment.
April 2025 = In Progress
OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman and Madison Vinson OCO Action: OCO staff visited the individuals living at WSR, followed by visiting the camp (MSU) OCO Staff: Sara Appleton and Stella Spracklin OCO Action: OCO staff conducted interviews with individuals in the IMU and discussed protocol. OCO Staff: Heather Bates OCO Action: OCO staff met with an incarcerated person and DOC Headquarters staff to discuss their current situation. OCO Staff: Sara Appleton and Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff attended a WA Way residential advisory council meeting and provided self advocacy information in H5 A and B units. OCO Staff: Angee Schrader, Heather Bates, and Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff met with an incarcerated person housed in a dry cell and spoke with DOC staff regarding this situation. OCO staff also supported this person during a conversation between this individual and DOC Headquarters staff. OCO Staff:All OCO Staff and OFCO Director OCO Action: Staff toured facility with staff and then we presented our 1st Quarterly meeting of 2025 to incarcerated individuals which was followed by round table discussions, answering questions and provided assistance. OCO Staff: Angee Schrader, and Heather Bates OCO Action: OCO staff visited the IMU and spoke with many individuals currently housed in adminstrative segregation. OCO staff also stopped by health services and observed the room where incarcerated individuals are being held as part of the Intoxication Protocol process.
March 2025 = 13 Monitoring Visits
OCO Staff: Ollie Webb, Angee Schrader, Madison Vinson and Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff members made a 30 minute presentation to the Concerned Lifer's Organization. All OCO staff met with individual members following the formal presentation providing information to individual concerns. OCO Staff: Angee Schrader and Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff members attended a tour of the Crossroads Program. OCO Staff: Caitlin Robertson, Elisabeth Kingsbury, Nick Brock, Ethan Meade and Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff met with individuals living in the MSC and the PEAR-CAT workgroup. OCO Staff: Stella Spracklin, Sara Appleton, Finn Shinnick, Ollie Webb and David Skattebo OCO Action: OCO staff attended an event by the MCC Alliances group, sat on panel and answered questions, and staffed a booth providing information about the office. OCO Staff: Madison Vinson and Angee Schrader OCO Action: OCO staff met with individuals living in IMU. OCO Staff: Madison Vinson and Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff members conducted an unannounced monitoring visit of the IMU prior to attending a meeting of the Black Prisoner's Caucus. OCO Staff: Madison Vinson and Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff met with individuals living in the IMU. OCO Staff: Angee Schrader and Jessica Means OCO Action: OCO staff met with individuals living in the closed observation area (COA). OCO Staff: Stella Spracklin, Jacob Marley and Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff attended a meeting of the Black Prisoner's Caucus and successfully coordinated BPC community members (sponsors) and DOC Headquarters attendance. The main focus of this meeting was confirming the new sponsorship via the BPC community group, and the startup of BPC Teach. OCO Staff: Finn Shinnick, Ethan Meade and Nick Brock OCO Action: OCO staff spoke with incarcerated individuals living in the MSC and the PEAR-CAT workgroup. OCO Staff: Angee Schrader, Madison Vinson and Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff attended the New Freedom Group, followed by a meeting with individuals in the IMU. OCO Staff: Heather Bates and Carmen Donovan OCO Action: OCO staff met with the incarcerated individuals in the close observation unit and spoke with DOC staff. OCO Staff: Heather Bates, Stella Spracklin, and Ethan Meade OCO Action: OCO staff visited with the incarcerated population and toured the facility. After a meeting with the tier reps, OCO staff met with facility leadership.
February 2025 = 10 Monitoring Visits
OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman & Sara Appleton OCO Action: OCO staff made an unannounced visit after receiving numerous complaints of ongoing cold temperature in Gold Unit. After confirming the unit was cold, OCO staff reviewed steps taken by the facility to stabilize temperature in the units. OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman, Ethan Meade, and Nick Brock
OCO Action: OCO staff met with incarcerated individuals living in the MSC and the PEAR-CAT workgroup. OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman, Ethan Meade, and Nick Brock
OCO Action: OCO met with DOC staff and incarcerated individuals in the CTAP program. OCO Staff: Stella Spracklin, Jacob Marley, Zak Kinneman
OCO Action: OCO staff toured the facility speaking with individuals in the units and met with DOC leadership at the conclusion of the visit. OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman, Ethan Meade and Nick Brock
OCO Action: OCO staff met with individuals living in the MSC and the PEAR-CAT workgroup. OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman and Angee Schrader
OCO Action: OCO staff met with individuals in the IMU and Sky River Treatment Unit. OCO Staff: Angee Schrader, Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff met with individuals living in the IMU and DOC staff. OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman, Stella Spracklin, Jacob Marley OCO Action: OCO staff attended and participated in a meeting of the Black Prisoner's Caucus (BPC).
OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman, Ethan Meade, Nick Brock OCO Action: OCO staff met with individuals living in the MSC and PEAR-CAT workgroup. OCO Staff: Sara Appleton and Jessica Means OCO Action: OCO staff attended a meeting of the Black Prisoner's Caucus (BPC) and visited with incarcerated individuals after the meeting. OCO Staff: Ethan Meade, Nick Brock, and Zak Kinneman
OCO Action: OCO staff met with individuals living in the MSC. OCO Staff: Angee Schrader, Elisabeth Kingsbury, and Heather Bates OCO Action: OCO staff met with individuals in the COA, had discussions with DOC staff regarding use of force protocols. OCO Staff: Nick Brock and Caitlin Robertson OCO Action: OCO staff met with individuals living in the MSC and met with facility leadership. OCO Staff: Angee Schrader and Heather Bates OCO Action: OCO staff met with individuals living in the IMU and COA. OCO Staff also met with facility leadership. OCO Staff: Nick Brock, Ethan Meade, and Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff met with CTAP graduates and their instructor. OCO Staff: E.V. Webb and David Skattebo OCO Action: OCO staff met with incarcerated individuals interested in restarting the regular LGBTQ+ meetings that used to happen prior to COVID. Over 40 incarcerated individuals attended two meetings scheduled that day. OCO Staff: Nick Brock, Ethan Meade, and Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff met with individuals living in the MSC. OCO Staff: Angee Schrader and Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff met with individuals living in the COA and staff working in that location. OCO Staff: Nick Brock, Ethan Meade, and Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff met with individuals living in the MSC. OCO staff also met with TRAC graduates and their instructor. OCO Staff: Nick Brock, Ethan Meade, and Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff met with CTAP graduates and their instructor. OCO Staff: David Skattebo and Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff met with staff and incarcerated individuals in both living units and visited with people currently housed in the restricted housing unit (segregation). OCO Staff: Nick Brock, Ethan Meade, and Caitlin Robertson OCO Action: OCO staff met with staff and incarcerated individuals in IMU South. OCO staff also met with facility leadership. OCO Staff: Angee Schrader and Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff met with individuals living in the IMU and met with facility staff to discuss emergency transfer of an incarcerated woman from WCCW to MCC on that morning. OCO Staff: Nick Brock, Ethan Meade, and Caitlin Robertson OCO Action: OCO staff met with CTAP graduates and their instructor. OCO Staff met with incarcerated individuals in the Close Custody Units, Medium Units, Minimum Security Camp, and IMU South and IMU North. OCO Staff also toured the Sustainable Practices Lab (SPL) and met with incarcerated workers and Correctional Industries Staff working in the kitchen. OCO Staff: Jacob Marley and Stella Spracklin OCO Action: OCO Staff met with members of the Black Prisoners' Caucus (BPC) and participated in a BPC meeting.
January 2025 = 15 monitoring visits
