wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > SB 6021 > Original Bill
The legislature finds that a body scanner pilot program in the department of corrections was highly successful at mitigating the introduction of contraband to adult corrections facilities. The department of corrections body scanner pilot program led to the detection of suboxone strips and pills, methamphetamine, prescription pills, fentanyl soaked marijuana, and THC gummies. Between 2019 and 2023, the program led to the confiscation of nearly 1,000 unique items, over 43 grams of drugs, and over $100 in cash.
The legislature further finds that such a program would reduce the introduction of contraband to Green Hill school and would promote a safer, drug-free facility. Contraband continues to be a serious threat to the safety and security of Green Hill school. In 2023, a joint narcotics enforcement team collected 114 bags of contraband from within Green Hill school. Among the contraband were cell phones, vape pens, gummies, and heroin.
Since then, problems with contraband have persisted at Green Hill school with employees and former employees continuing to introduce contraband into the facility. The introduction of contraband into Green Hill school severely impacts the ability of the department of children, youth, and families to engage in rehabilitative programming and harms both inmates and staff.
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The department shall establish a comprehensive body scanner program at Green Hill school as part of a program to protect human dignity and create drug-free state juvenile rehabilitation facilities. The body scanner for inmates must be capable of detecting the presence of contraband contained under clothing and within body cavities, and must meet applicable federal radiation and safety standards.
The department shall develop gender-responsive and trauma-informed policies and procedures necessary to establish a comprehensive body scanner program that shall be utilized to conduct security screenings for employees, contractors, visitors, volunteers, inmates, and other persons entering the secure perimeter of the facility participating in the program under this section. Alternative search methods shall be used for persons who are minors, individuals who are health compromised, individuals with disabilities, individuals who may be pregnant, and individuals who are likely to meet the maximum allowable monthly or annual radiation dosage limit specified by federal radiation and safety standards.
The department shall provide appropriate custody and nursing staff levels for body scanners installed at Green Hill school under this section. Staffing must be adequate to provide for subsequent searches if a body scan indicates the presence of contraband.
An inmate with a body scan indicating the presence of substance-related contraband shall undergo, if appropriate, a comprehensive assessment for substance use disorder and receive relevant substance use disorder treatment services, including medication-assisted treatment. The department shall prioritize substance use disorder treatment services for inmates with cognitive, behavioral, and physiological symptoms indicating the inmate is experiencing a substance use disorder. The department shall distinguish between inmates who have symptoms indicating a substance use disorder and inmates who transport substances for other individuals and do not have symptoms indicating a substance use disorder.
A department employee, contractor, visitor, or volunteer with a body scan indicating the presence of contraband shall be disciplined in accordance with department policies and referred to law enforcement.
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The department shall provide appropriate radiation safety and body scanner operation training to all staff who will administer the body scan. Only staff who have completed all related trainings may be permitted to operate the body scanner and review body scans. The department shall develop policies for the use of body scanners, on scanner use and screening procedures, including frequency and radiation exposure limits, to minimize harmful radiation exposure while safely and effectively utilizing the full-body scanners to create drug-free correctional facilities. The department shall develop a method to track and maintain records on the frequency of body scans conducted on any individual subject to the comprehensive body scanner program to comply with any maximum allowable monthly and annual radiation dosage limits that may be set by federal radiation and safety standards.
At minimum, these policies must provide for the scanning of any department employee, contractor, visitor, or volunteer for each entry into the secure perimeter of the facility.
The secretary shall adopt any rules and policies necessary to implement the requirements of this section.
The department shall leverage existing funding and equipment to comply with the requirements of this section.
By December 1st each year, and in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the department shall submit a report to the governor and the legislature on:
The number and types of individuals, including visitors, employees, contractors, and volunteers, with positive body scans in the prior year and the action taken;
The types of contraband detected by the body scanner;
The number of confiscated substances in the prior five years; and
The number of inmates with positive body scans for substance-related contraband in the prior year who were assessed for substance use disorder and received substance use disorder treatment services while incarcerated.
For the purposes of this section:
"Contraband" has the meaning provided in RCW 9A.76.010; and
"Substance use disorder treatment services" means services licensed by the department of health or provided as part of a substance use disorder treatment program that has been approved by the department of health.