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 2024
OCO Staff: OCO Action: OCO Staff: OCO Action: OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman and Sara Appleton OCO Action: OCO staff members met with representatives of various cultural groups at Stafford Corrections Center to discuss their participation in the upcoming quarterly meeting to be held at Stafford Creek on Friday, April 19th. OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman, Heather Bates, and Sara Appleton OCO Action: OCO staff visited the IMU, and walked through one of the transfer pods, as well as C - unit, and spoke with incarcerated individuals who live there. OCO staff also met with facility leadership and walked through Sage Unit located at the camp. OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman, Heather Bates, and Sara Appleton OCO Action: OCO staff visited the SMU, K -Unit, the C.I. Factory, and the MSU-camp. Staff spoke with incarcerated indivduals housed at this facility as well as DOC leadership. OCO Staff: Chase Rapach, David Skattebo, Stella Spracklin, and Zak Kinneman OCO Action: In preparation for the Quarterly Community meeting, OCO staff met with incarcerated tier representatives, Washington Way advisory members, cultural groups, and peer mentors to discuss the agenda and key topics. OCO staff also visited the medical unit and with facility leadership to discuss the logistics of the upcoming meeting.
First Quarter 2024 = 25 monitoring visits
OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff member attended the Father Son Field Day event for families and the incarcerated. OCO Staff: E.V. Webb OCO Action: OCO staff attended the MCC Alliances LGBTQ+ meeting, answered questions about the OCO, and actively participated in the meeting activities. OCO Staff: E.V. Webb OCO Action: OCO staff met with incarcerated individuals in the Intensive Management Unit (IMU). OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff met with incarcerated individuals in their living units and met with DOC staff regarding clothing donations for individuals in need of appropriate clothing pending release. OCO Staff: Madison Vinson OCO Action: OCO staff attended the Residential Treatment Unit (RTU) workgroup meeting and participated in the work to create a new RTU policy encompassing the disciplinary process as well as classification and custody. OCO staff also met individually with incarcerated individuals in the Sky River Treatment Center (SRTC) and met with members of the facility leadership team. OCO Staff: Elisabeth Kingsbury, Zak Kinneman, Caitlin Robertson, and Angee Schrader OCO Action: OCO staff, Michele Deitch and Alycia Welch from the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab, and WCCW Supt. Headley and Assistant Supt. Figueira met and informally discussed ongoing Washington Way and Gender-Informed Practices process improvements projects at WCCW. OCO staff and the PJIL Team toured the facility and OCO staff provided on-site, self-advocacy information to multiple incarcerated individuals. OCO Staff: Elisabeth Kingsbury, Zak Kinneman, Caitlin Robertson, and Angee Schrader OCO Action: OCO staff, Michele Deitch and Alycia Welch from the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab, and Supt. Mason met and informally discussed ongoing process improvements projects at WCC. OCO staff provided the PJIL team with a tour of the reception center, receiving units, and the Intensive Management Unit. While walking through the prison, OCO staff provided on-site, self-advocacy information to multiple incarcerated individuals.
OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff attended a presentation for individuals enrolled in the CPAT program organized by representatives of the Cement Masons and Plasterers, Local 528. OCO staff met with the program director and union representatives. OCO staff also visited Cascade and Olympic living units and spoke directly with incarcerated individuals on the tiers and in the day room areas. OCO Staff: Caitlin Robertson OCO Action: OCO staff made an unannounced visit to the Dental Clinic and spoke directly with Health Services Staff to discuss long wait times to receive dental care. OCO staff also spoke directly with multiple patients waiting for healthcare services. Finally, OCO staff met with members of the facility leadership team and attended the local family council meeting. OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman, Caitlin Robertson, and Madison Vinson OCO Action: OCO staff were invited and attended the Black Prisoners' Caucus (BPC) regular Friday evening meeting. OCO Staff: Madison Vinson OCO Action: OCO staff met with incarcerated individuals in the Intensive Management Unit (IMU) and in the Sky River Treatment Center (SRTC), as well as met confidentially with an incarcerated person related to their ongoing case with the OCO. OCO Staff: Chase Rapach, Stella Spracklin, and E.V. Webb OCO Action: OCO staff met with tier reps and facility Health Services leadership to discuss updates and ongoing concerns related to health services. This was a follow-up meeting, as requested by the Tier Reps at their October 2023 meeting which OCO staff attended. After meeting with the Tier Reps, OCO staff discussed expanding patient education resources and specific patient concerns directly with Health Services leadership. OCO staff also met with incarcerated individuals living in the segregation unit and visited with various individuals in their general population living units. OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO Staff visited with incarcerated individuals in their living units at WCC, and spoke with members of the Black Prisoners Caucus (BPC), the Concerned Lifers Organization (CLO), and various members of Native American Tribes and Federally Recognized Indian Tribes of Washington. OCO Staff: Sara Appleton and Caitlin Robertson OCO Action: OCO staff met with incarcerated individuals in the Intensive Management Unit (IMU) and in various other living units. Members from OCO also spoke with unit staff and facility leadership. OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman, Angee Schrader, and Madison Vinson OCO Action: OCO staff confidentially met with incarcerated individuals in the BAR Units, IMU South, IMU North, and the Close Observation Areas. OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman, Angee Schrader, and Madison Vinson OCO Action: The OCO staff confidentially met with several incarcerated individuals in IMU South. OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman, Angee Schrader, and Madison Vinson OCO Action: OCO staff met with incarcerated individuals in the Segregation Unit. OCO Staff: Sara Appleton and Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff met with the Washington Way Resource Team and with program participants in the Washington Way Pod, in the Intensive Management Unit (IMU). OCO staff visited with incarcerated individuals in various living units and toured an unoccupied Extended Family Visit (EFV) unit. OCO Staff: Angee Schrader, Stella Spracklin, Madison Vinson, Heather Bates, David Skattebo, Chase Rapach, and Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff met with incarcerated individuals about their concerns related to the food at OCC. Prior to visiting the kitchen and with residents of the camp, OCO staff met with facility leadership. Some OCO staff also met with an individual in the Special Housing Unit. OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman, Angee Schrader, and Madison Vinson OCO Action: OCO staff met with incarcerated individuals throughout the facility and met with members of the facility leadership team. OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman, Angee Schrader, and Madison Vinson OCO Action: OCO staff met with incarcerated individuals throughout the facility and met with members of the facility leadership team. OCO Staff: Angee Schrader, Madison Vinson, Heather Bates, Rebecca Glosser, Jessica Means, Zak Kinneman, Sara Appleton, Stella Spracklin, and Caitlin Robertson OCO Action: OCO staff presented our quarterly meeting directly to residents of MCCCW. We met in small groups and answered questions about many topics including, healthcare, resolutions, visitation, programming, and mail. OCO staff invited staff from the Office of the Family and Children's Ombuds (OFCO) to join us. OFCO staff met directly with incarcerated parents and provided self-advocacy on-site. OCO Staff and OFCO Staff also met with residents in their units and with leadership of the facility. The OCO invited the new Assistant Secretary Andrewjeski and the Deputy Assistant Secretary Wofford to join our meeting, and the residents at Mission thanked them for attending the meeting. OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman, Angee Schrader, and Madison Vinson OCO Action: OCO staff met with individuals throughout the facility, including the infirmary. OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman, Angee Schrader, and Madison Vinson OCO Action: OCO staff met with individuals in the Twin Rivers Unit. OCO Staff: Stella Spracklin, David Skattebo, and Zak Kinneman OCO Action: OCO staff traveled to MCCCW on January 8th as part of preparations for the Public Quarterly Meeting scheduled to be held at Mission Creek on the 19th. Staff members toured the facility and met with Tier Representatives from the Gold and Bear units. OCO staff also met with individuals in the living units answering questions and providing information unrelated to the upcoming meeting. Following the time spent with individuals, OCO staff had an opportunity to meet with facility leadership and discussed areas of common concern raised by the population.