wa-law.org > bill > 2023-24 > SB 5226 > Substitute Bill
It is the intent of the legislature to establish a comprehensive system of corrections for convicted law violators within the state of Washington to accomplish the following objectives.
The system should ensure the public safety by positively changing lives. The system should be designed and managed to provide the maximum feasible safety for the persons and property of the general public, the staff, and those who are incarcerated or under supervision.
The system should punish the offender for violating the laws of the state of Washington. This punishment should generally be limited to the denial of liberty of the offender.
The system should positively impact offenders by stressing personal responsibility and accountability and by discouraging recidivism.
The system should treat all offenders fairly and equitably without regard to race, religion, sex, national origin, residence, or social condition.
The system, as much as possible, should reflect the values of the community including:
Avoiding idleness. Idleness is not only wasteful but destructive to the individual and to the community.
Adoption of the work ethic. It is the community expectation that all individuals should work and through their efforts benefit both themselves and the community.
Providing opportunities for self improvement. All individuals should have opportunities to grow and expand their skills and abilities so as to fulfill their role in the community.
Linking the receipt or denial of privileges to responsible behavior and accomplishments. The individual who works to improve himself or herself and the community should be rewarded for these efforts. As a corollary, there should be no rewards for no effort.
Sharing in the obligations of the community. All citizens, the public and inmates alike, have a personal and fiscal obligation in the corrections system. All communities must share in the responsibility of the corrections system.
The system should provide for prudent management of resources. The avoidance of unnecessary or inefficient public expenditures on the part of offenders and the department is essential. Offenders must be accountable to the department, and the department to the public and the legislature. The human and fiscal resources of the community are limited. The management and use of these resources can be enhanced by wise investment, productive programs, the reduction of duplication and waste, and the joining together of all involved parties in a common endeavor. Since most offenders return to the community, it is wise for the state and the communities to make an investment in effective rehabilitation programs for offenders and the wise use of resources.
The system should provide for restitution. Those who have damaged others, persons or property, have a responsibility to make restitution for these damages.
The system should be accountable to the citizens of the state. In return, the individual citizens and local units of government must meet their responsibilities to make the corrections system effective.
The system should meet those national standards which the state determines to be appropriate.
Every person who is sentenced to a period of community custody shall report to and be placed under the supervision of the department, subject to RCW 9.94A.501.
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The department shall assess the offender's risk of reoffense and may establish and modify additional conditions of community custody based upon the risk to community safety.
Within the funds available for community custody, the department shall determine conditions on the basis of risk to community safety, and shall supervise offenders during community custody on the basis of risk to community safety and conditions imposed by the court. The secretary shall adopt rules to implement the provisions of this subsection (2)(b).
If the offender is supervised by the department, the department shall at a minimum instruct the offender to:
Report as directed to a community corrections officer;
Remain within prescribed geographical boundaries;
Notify the community corrections officer of any change in the offender's address or employment; and
Disclose the fact of supervision to any mental health, chemical dependency, or domestic violence treatment provider, as required by RCW 9.94A.722.
The department may require the offender to participate in rehabilitative programs, or otherwise perform affirmative conduct, and to obey all laws.
If the offender was sentenced pursuant to a conviction for a sex offense or domestic violence, the department may:
Require the offender to refrain from direct or indirect contact with the victim of the crime or immediate family member of the victim of the crime. If a victim or an immediate family member of a victim has requested that the offender not contact him or her after notice as provided in RCW 72.09.340, the department shall require the offender to refrain from contact with the requestor. Where the victim is a minor, the parent or guardian of the victim may make a request on the victim's behalf. This subsection is not intended to reduce the preexisting authority of the department to impose no-contact conditions regardless of the offender's crime and regardless of who is protected by the no-contact condition, where such condition is based on risk to community safety.
Impose electronic monitoring. Within the resources made available by the department for this purpose, the department shall carry out any electronic monitoring using the most appropriate technology given the individual circumstances of the offender. As used in this section, "electronic monitoring" has the same meaning as in RCW 9.94A.030.
The department may not impose conditions that are contrary to those ordered by the court and may not contravene or decrease court-imposed conditions.
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The department shall notify the offender in writing of any additional conditions or modifications.
By the close of the next business day after receiving notice of a condition imposed or modified by the department, an offender may request an administrative review under rules adopted by the department. The condition shall remain in effect unless the reviewing officer finds that it is not reasonably related to the crime of conviction, the offender's risk of reoffending, or the safety of the community.
The department shall notify the offender in writing upon community custody intake of the department's violation process.
The department may require offenders to pay for special services rendered including electronic monitoring, day reporting, and telephone reporting, dependent on the offender's ability to pay. The department may pay for these services for offenders who are not able to pay.
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When an offender on community custody is under the authority of the board, the department shall assess the offender's risk of recidivism and shall recommend to the board any additional or modified conditions based upon the offender's risk to community safety and may recommend affirmative conduct or electronic monitoring consistent with subsections (4) through (6) of this section.
The board may impose conditions in addition to court-ordered conditions. The board must consider and may impose department-recommended conditions. The board must impose a condition requiring the offender to refrain from contact with the victim or immediate family member of the victim as provided in subsection (5)(a) of this section.
By the close of the next business day, after receiving notice of a condition imposed by the board or the department, an offender may request an administrative hearing under rules adopted by the board. The condition shall remain in effect unless the hearing examiner finds that it is not reasonably related to any of the following:
The crime of conviction;
The offender's risk of reoffending;
The safety of the community;
The offender's risk of domestic violence reoffense.
If the department finds that an emergency exists requiring the immediate imposition of additional conditions in order to prevent the offender from committing a crime, the department may impose such conditions. The department may not impose conditions that are contrary to those set by the board or the court and may not contravene or decrease court-imposed or board-imposed conditions. Conditions imposed under this subsection shall take effect immediately after notice to the offender by personal service, but shall not remain in effect longer than seven working days unless approved by the board.
In setting, modifying, and enforcing conditions of community custody, the department shall be deemed to be performing a quasi‑judicial function.
The department shall make every reasonable effort to pursue active warrants of offenders who have violated the terms of their supervision.
If an offender violates any condition or requirement of a sentence, a community corrections officer may arrest or cause the arrest of the offender without a warrant, pending a determination by the court or by the department. If there is reasonable cause to believe that an offender has violated a condition or requirement of the sentence, a community corrections officer may require an offender to submit to a search and seizure of the offender's person, residence, automobile, or other personal property.
For the safety and security of department staff, an offender may be required to submit to pat searches, or other limited security searches, by community corrections officers, correctional officers, and other agency approved staff, without reasonable cause, when in or on department premises, grounds, or facilities, or while preparing to enter department premises, grounds, facilities, or vehicles. Pat searches of offenders shall be conducted only by staff who are the same gender as the offender, except in emergency situations.
A community corrections officer may also arrest an offender for any crime committed in his or her presence. The facts and circumstances of the conduct of the offender shall be reported by the community corrections officer, with recommendations, to the court, local law enforcement, or local prosecution for consideration of new charges. The community corrections officer's report shall serve as the notice that the department will hold the offender for not more than three days from the time of such notice for the new crime, except if the offender's underlying offense is a felony offense listed in RCW 9.94A.737(5), in which case the department will hold the offender for thirty days from the time of arrest, until a prosecuting attorney charges the offender with a crime, or until a prosecuting attorney provides written notice to the department that new charges will not be filed, whichever occurs first. This does not affect the department's authority under RCW 9.94A.737.
If a community corrections officer arrests or causes the arrest of an offender under this section, the offender shall be confined and detained in the county jail of the county in which the offender was taken into custody, and the sheriff of that county shall receive and keep in the county jail all prisoners delivered to the jail by the community corrections officer, and such offenders shall not be released from custody on bail or personal recognizance, except upon approval of the court or authorized department staff, pursuant to a written order.