Corrections Ombuds

OCO Staff: Heather Bates, Tianna Carin-Wardlaw, Kristine Dibble, Elisabeth Kingsbury, Zak Kinneman, Caitlin Robertson, and E.V. Webb

OCO Action:  OCO Quarterly Stakeholder Meeting 

OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman and Rebecca Glosser

OCO Action:  In preparation for the 2nd Quarterly Stakeholder's meeting, OCO staff toured TRU and visited with individuals in Unit A. 

OCO Staff: David Skattebo and E.V. Webb 

OCO Action:  

OCO Staff: Kristine Dibble and Caitlin Robertson 

OCO Action:  OCO staff went through the new body scanner at the public entrance, observed the dry cells, and visited the incarcerated individuals in the living units. 

OCO Staff: Tianna Cain-Wardlaw, Zachary Kinneman, and Stella Spracklin

OCO Action:  The OCO staff visited with incarcerated individuals in the living units, interacted with the dog program, and toured the facility.  Highlights of the tour were the law library, the chapel, and the property room. 

OCO Staff: Zachary Kinneman 

OCO Action: In direct response to concerns raised by incarcerated individuals about conditions in the kitchen, the OCO toured the facility kitchens and observed operations.  OCO staff met with workers during the walk-through without DOC staff present, then met separately with DOC staff.  The OCO staff observed a clean and orderly kitchen with no obvious signs of mold, as reported. 

OCO Staff: Zachary Kinneman

OCO Action: OCO staff member attended an in-person meeting of the Local Family Council. 

OCO Staff: Zachary Kinneman

OCO Action: OCO staff met with DOC staff and with residents of the Therapeutic Community in Gold Unit.  OCO staff provided information about the OCO and the DOC's resolution program on-site to the residents.  The OCO confirmed with the residents that facility issues with heating/cooling were resolved.  Before leaving, the OCO staff visited with the facility's new miniature horses in their stalls. 

OCO Staff: Zachary Kinneman 

OCO Action:  OCO staff attended the monthly Tier Representative Meeting, met with incarcerated individuals in the living units, and met with DOC staff. 

OCO Staff: Elisabeth Kingsbury, Zachary Kinneman, and Caitlin Robertson

OCO Action:  OCO staff completed informal wellness checks with incarcerated individuals living in the SOU units, including the COA (close observation areas). OCO staff met with DOC staff and toured WSRU including the infirmary and visited with facility leadership at TRU and SOU.   

OCO Staff: Zachary Kinneman 

OCO Action:  OCO staff attended the monthly Tier Representative Meeting for MSU (the camp), met with incarcerated individuals in the living units, and met with DOC staff. 

OCO Staff: Zachary Kinneman 

OCO Action:  OCO staff met with DOC staff and incarcerated individuals in the living units. 

OCO Staff: Caitlin Robertson, PhD

OCO Action:  The OCO Director made an unannounced visit to ascertain the current conditions of specific residential level of care cells and to check on the welfare of a particular patient. After visiting the treatment unit with the Captain, she met with the Superintendent and Associate Superintendent. 

OCO Staff: Zachary Kinneman 

OCO Action: OCO staff met with staff and incarcerated individuals in the living units. OCO Staff visited with incarcerated individuals in various day rooms, provided self-advocacy information, and answered questions about the scope and limitations of the OCO work. 

OCO Staff: Zachary Kinneman

OCO Action: OCO staff met with two incarcerated individuals with open complaints with the OCO. In addition to providing self-advocacy information to the incarcerated, OCO staff served as a witness to a planned medical transport for one of the patients. 

OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman, Caitlin Robertson, & Angee Schrader 

OCO Action:  On a Saturday, the OCO met with DOC staff working in the Close Observation Area (COA) and discussed unit processes and procedures. Information gathered will be used by the OCO during an unexpected fatality review committee meeting. The OCO also visited with specific individuals in the IMU as part of our ongoing case investigation work. 

OCO Staff: Angee Schrader & Zak Kinneman 

OCO Action:  The OCO met with the leadership team at AHCC and attended the Tier Rep Meetings in Main and the MSU. The OCO toured C4 and N Units and addressed concerns and immediate issues onsite with DOC staff. Additionally, while at AHCC, the OCO learned that the facility was out of carbon copy resolution forms and was using a copied version. After the OCO's visit, the facility placed an order of 2,000 carbon copy resolution forms. 

OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman 

OCO Action: The OCO met with the new Associate Superintendent and toured the minimum-security camp. During the tour, the OCO met with individuals in several living units and addressed concerns and immediate issues onsite with DOC staff.

OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman 

OCO Action:  The OCO visited with specific individuals in Baker, Adams, and Rainier Units (BAR Units)  and later met with members of the WSP leadership team. 

OCO Staff: Caitlin Robertson

OCO Action: The OCO Director met with the leadership team at MCC-TRU/WSR/MSU to tour the Twin Rivers Unit and the Minimum Security Unit to identify areas of needed improvement for the health and safety of the people living and working in the units. The 4th purpose of the OCO is to identify system issues and responses for the governor and the legislature to act upon. This OCO visit is part of our ongoing work to help advocate for improved living conditions and updated physical buildings in which people in our state's prisons live and work. 

OCO Staff: Caitlin Robertson

OCO Action: The OCO Director toured the Nisqually Corrections Center, a contracted facility in which people under the jurisdiction of the DOC (often called "violators") may be housed. 

OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman 

OCO Action: OCO staff met with DOC staff, toured the camp's kitchen facility, and viewed renovations underway in the Olympic Living Unit.  After receiving multiple complaints about a rodent infestation in the kitchen, OCO staff found the kitchen and food storage areas clean, organized, and sanitary. Facility staff provided details about ongoing pest management practices and proper cleaning and sanitizing procedures. 

OCO Staff: Angee Schrader, Caitlin Robertson, Heather Bates, and Zak Kinneman 

OCO Action: On a Saturday, OCO staff members conducted cell front meetings with incarcerated individuals in the Intensive Management Unit and with residents of the G Unit in the dayrooms. 

OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman 

OCO Action:  The OCO did an unannounced visit and conducted cell front visits and opened new cases with individuals in the IMU. 

OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman 

OCO Action:  

OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman 

OCO Action: 

OCO Staff: The Whole Team! 

OCO Action: The entire OCO staff traveled to Washington Corrections Center in Shelton, Washington, to conduct our first quarterly meeting for stakeholders in a DOC facility for men. Attending the meeting were Tier Representatives from the residential units Cedar and Evergreen, leaders of cultural and community groups at WCC, members of the WCC executive leadership team, a member of the Reentry Division leadership team, and representatives from the DOC Engagement & Outreach Team. OCO staff reviewed the 4th Quarter 2022 results via a PowerPoint presentation that will be available later on the OCO website. Presenters discussed case resolutions and outcomes; reviewed case intake issues by facility; hotline utilization; and provided insight for the stakeholders into the OCO case intake, investigation, and resolution process. Stakeholders directly asked OCO staff, WCC leadership, and HQ staff questions and received answers following.

OCO Staff: Caitlin Robertson

OCO Action: The OCO Director met with WCC staff and people living at WCC to discuss preparations for the following day's public quarterly meeting. After prep meeting, met with the IMU CUS to discuss an unexpected fatality that occurred the day before in that unit.   

OCO Staff: Sara Appleton & Stella Spracklin

OCO Action:  

OCO Staff: Chase Rapach & E.V. Webb

OCO Action: OCO staff met with incarcerated individuals as part of an ongoing series of visits in preparation for our January Public Meeting.  On this visit, OCO staff met at cell fronts in every pod of the IMU. Every individual who desired to speak with OCO staff had the opportunity to voice their concerns and those who needed it were provided with review request forms and/or self-advocacy information. Population concerns brought to our attention include: the issuing of property in the IMU, recreation time in the lower R's, Out of State transfer timelines, and the Securus tablet program.  OCO staff checked the phones in the gym for access to the OCO Hotline. Individual concerns received were entered into our case management system and assigned to an OCO staff member to review for next steps. OCO staff also mediated a conversation between a DOC Health Services Manager and an incarcerated patient regarding health services and housing concerns. 

OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman & Chase Rapach 

OCO Action: OCO staff met with incarcerated individuals as part of an ongoing series of visits in preparation for our January Public Meeting.  On this visit, the OCO staff met with residents in the Cedar living unit. We provided an open forum for questions, complaints, and requests for assistance in all the dayrooms of the living unit.  The concerns brought to the OCO attention were mainly about issues with the newly installed phone system, classification concerns, a lack of recreational access, limited programming opportunities, and language translation issues.  All concerns were entered into our case management system and assigned to an OCO staff member to review for next steps. 

OCO Staff: Zak Kinneman & Chase Rapach 

OCO Action:  OCO staff met with incarcerated individuals as part of an ongoing series of visits in preparation for our January Public Meeting. Today's meeting was held in the dayrooms of Evergreen and we met exclusively with the incarcerated people. Topics of concern were post COVID visiting issues, custody and classification issues, and individual health care needs. All concerns were entered into our case management system and assigned to an OCO staff member to review for next steps.