Washington Corrections Center

Washington Corrections Center (WCC)
Overhead view of Washington Corrections Center
Washington Corrections Center is located in Washington (state)
Washington Corrections Center
Location in Washington
LocationShelton
Coordinates47°14′13″N 123°11′35″W / 47.23694°N 123.19306°W / 47.23694; -123.19306
StatusOperational
Security classMinimum, Medium, Close, Maximum
Capacity1,268
Opened1964
Managed byWashington State Department of Corrections
DirectorDean Mason, Superintendent
Street address2321 West Dayton Airport Rd.
CityShelton
CountyMason County
State/provinceWashington
Postal codeP. O. Box 900
CountryUnited States
Websitewww.doc.wa.gov/corrections/incarceration/prisons/wcc.htm

Washington Corrections Center is a Washington State Department of Corrections men's prison located in Shelton, Washington.[1] With an operating capacity of 1,300, it is the sixth largest prison in the state (after Stafford Creek Corrections Center) and is surrounded by forestland. It opened in 1964, seventy-five years after statehood.[2]

Washington Corrections Center is located at 2321 W Dayton Airport Rd.

Facilities and Programs

Washington Corrections Center facilitates Educational and Offender Change programs, Work and Vocational programs, and Sustainability programs.

  • Educational and Offender Change programs include: GED programs, Computer basics programs, and a prison library.[1] their intent is to teach incarcerated new skills, and help them to transition into the outside world.
  • Work and Vocational programs include: groundskeeping and vehicle maintenance,[1] these are how prisoners earn prison salaries or commissary.
  • Sustainability programs include: Composting, and Vegetable Gardens.[1] Their intent is to allow prisoners to practice skills learned in prison, and make the prison self-sustaining.

Organization

Washington Corrections Center is located on a 400-acre campus in Shelton, Washington.[3] On campus, there is 9 housing units by the names of:

  • Cedar
  • Evergreen
  • Pine
  • R-1
  • R-2
  • R-3
  • R-4
  • R-5
  • IMU

These vary from minimum to maximum security.[4]

History

North side viewed from SR 102

Washington Corrections Center was opened 61 years ago in 1964, making it the 5th oldest prison in Washington state.[1] All prisoners entering the Washington State Prison System must pass through Washington Corrections Center in order to be classified and assigned to a permanent residential prison.[5] In 2014, two prisoners at Washington Corrections Center committed successful suicides, leading the Washington State Department of Corrections to reform their official policy on suicides.[6] In September 2015, Washington Corrections Center became the second prison (after Snake River Correctional Institution in Oregon)[7] to install a "Blueroom" inside of solitary confinement to play nature videos for prisoners.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Washington Corrections Center (WCC) | WACorrections". doc.wa.gov. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  2. ^ "Washington Corrections Center Visiting hours, inmate phones, mail". prisonpro.com. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  3. ^ "Washington Correctional Center Campus Map". google.com. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  4. ^ "Washington Corrections Center Visiting hours, inmate phones, mail". prisonpro.com. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  5. ^ "Welcome to prison -- inside Washington Corrections Center - seattlepi.com". seattlepi.com. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  6. ^ "2 Prisoners Mistakenly Released Early Now Charged In Killings : NPR". npr.org. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  7. ^ "Oregon prison tackles solitary confinement with Blue Room experiment | OregonLive.com". oregonlive.com. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  8. ^ "Washington prison mimicking Oregon program showing nature videos to solitary prisoners | OregonLive.com". oregonlive.com. Retrieved 2016-05-05.