Inmate Rights in Washington

Washington's prison rights landscape is defined by a significant 2022 voting rights reform and a well organized public facing correctional system. In 2022, Washington enacted HB 1078, which took effect January 1, 2022, and automatically restored voting rights to all people with felony convictions who are not in total confinement under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections. This means people on parole, on community supervision, and on probation in Washington CAN vote. Only people actively serving a sentence of total confinement in a DOC facility lose the right to vote.

The Washington State Department of Corrections, known as WADOC or DOC, manages all state operated adult prisons and supervises adult incarcerated individuals who live in the community. WADOC is headquartered at 7345 Linderson Way SW, Tumwater, WA. WADOC's policies are publicly available at doc.wa.gov/records/policies. Mail services information is at doc.wa.gov/corrections/services/mail.htm. WADOC also issues a Certificate of Discharge when all sentence requirements are completed, and Certificates of Restoration of Opportunity (CROP) to help reduce employment barriers.

This guide covers rights inside Washington state prisons and county jails across ten domains, grounded in WADOC policy, Washington statute, and the current legal landscape.

Here is the short version, before we take each right apart.

Medical and mental health care are constitutionally required. Mail services are described at doc.wa.gov/corrections/services/mail.htm. Phone access is available. Visitation requires following WADOC visiting procedures with facility specific schedules. The grievance process must be exhausted before federal court. PREA: WADOC maintains PREA policies. Religious practice is protected. ADA accommodations are required. Washington voting rights are automatically restored upon release from total confinement under HB 1078 (effective January 1, 2022); people on parole and community supervision CAN vote; must re register after release; voting before rights are restored is a class C felony. Upon completing all sentence requirements including legal financial obligations, a Certificate of Discharge is issued.

Medical and mental health care

Every person in a Washington state prison has a constitutional right to adequate medical and mental health care under the Eighth Amendment. WADOC provides health care services across its state operated adult prisons. WADOC's policies on medical and mental health care are publicly available at doc.wa.gov/records/policies.

If your loved one is not receiving needed medical or mental health care, submit every request in writing with a date, keep copies, and file a formal grievance through WADOC. Contact the ACLU of Washington at 206 624 2180 for systemic medical care concerns. For general questions, WADOC can be reached at 360 725 8213.

Mail services

Mail in Washington state prisons is governed by WADOC policy. WADOC maintains a dedicated Mail Services page at doc.wa.gov/corrections/services/mail.htm with current information on how to send mail to an incarcerated person at a state facility. Legal mail, meaning correspondence from attorneys, must be opened only in the incarcerated person's presence to check for physical contraband and cannot be read.

WADOC's policies are publicly available at doc.wa.gov/records/policies. Some policies are available in Spanish as well as English. Contact InmateAid or WADOC's general information line at 360 725 8213 to confirm current mail procedures for the specific facility.

Phone access

Phone calls from Washington state prisons are available through the inmate telephone system. Calls are monitored and recorded except for privileged calls to attorneys. Phone rates are subject to the FCC's prison telephone rate caps, expanded in 2024 to cover all facilities regardless of size.

InmateAid can help families navigate the current phone account options and discount plans available at the specific WADOC facility. For general information, contact WADOC at 360 725 8213.

Visitation

Visitation at Washington state prisons requires following WADOC visiting procedures. Visitation policies and schedules vary by facility based on security level and local operating procedures. WADOC publishes visiting information at doc.wa.gov. Visitors must be on an approved visitor list and follow facility rules including dress codes and identification requirements.

WADOC manages all state operated adult prisons and also supervises adult incarcerated individuals who live in the community. County jails in Washington operate under their own local authority with separate visiting rules. Contact InmateAid or the specific WADOC facility directly for current visiting schedules, approval procedures, and any updates. Check the WADOC website regularly for visitation cancellations and updates.

The grievance process

WADOC maintains an internal grievance process for incarcerated people. Grievances must be filed and exhausted through the internal WADOC process before a federal civil rights lawsuit can be filed under the Prison Litigation Reform Act. WADOC's grievance policies are publicly available at doc.wa.gov/records/policies.

File every grievance in writing, keep a copy, and document every response and every failure to respond within required timeframes. Contact the ACLU of Washington at 206 624 2180 for systemic concerns after the internal process is complete.

Disciplinary hearings

When a person in Washington state custody is accused of a disciplinary infraction, they are entitled to the minimum due process protections from Wolff v. McDonnell: advance written notice of the charge, a hearing, and a written statement of the evidence and reasons for any sanction. WADOC policy governs the disciplinary process at its facilities. WADOC policies are publicly available at doc.wa.gov/records/policies.

A disciplinary conviction can affect classification, housing assignment, program eligibility, visiting access, and community custody consideration. Document what happened at any disciplinary hearing, who was present, and what evidence was considered. If the hearing result appears to violate procedural requirements, file a grievance through WADOC.

PREA and protection from sexual abuse

The Prison Rape Elimination Act applies in all WADOC facilities and in Washington county jails. Every person in custody has the right to be free from sexual abuse and sexual harassment by staff and by other incarcerated people. WADOC must maintain PREA policies, train staff, provide a reporting mechanism, and protect people who report from retaliation.

Reports of sexual abuse or harassment can be made to facility staff, the PREA coordinator, or through external reporting options. Retaliation against someone who reports is a PREA violation and the basis of a separate complaint. Document every incident, every report made, and any change in housing or treatment that follows a report. Contact the ACLU of Washington for systemic PREA compliance concerns.

Religious practice

People incarcerated in Washington state prisons have the right to religious practice under the First Amendment and the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. WADOC must accommodate sincere religious beliefs and practices unless it can demonstrate a compelling security interest that cannot be addressed through less restrictive means. Religious programming and chaplaincy services are available in WADOC facilities.

Requests for specific religious accommodations, including dietary adjustments and access to religious items, go through a formal request process at the facility. A denial must rest on a genuine documented security concern. Denials can be challenged through the WADOC grievance process and, if unresolved, in federal court under RLUIPA. Document the specific accommodation requested, the reason given for any denial, and every step taken.

ADA and disability accommodations

People with disabilities in Washington state prisons are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act. WADOC must provide reasonable accommodations for people with mobility, vision, hearing, cognitive, and other disabilities. Requests for disability accommodations should be submitted in writing to the facility.

A denial or failure to respond can be challenged through the WADOC grievance process and, if unresolved, in federal court. Contact Disability Rights Washington or the ACLU of Washington for systemic disability access concerns. Document every accommodation requested and every response received.

Voting rights: HB 1078 and restoration upon release

Washington enacted HB 1078, effective January 1, 2022, restoring voter eligibility for all persons with felony convictions who are not in total confinement under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections. Under RCW 10.46.140, the right to vote is automatically restored as long as the individual is not serving a sentence of total confinement under DOC jurisdiction.

This means: people on parole in Washington CAN vote. People on community supervision in Washington CAN vote. People on probation in Washington CAN vote. Only people actively serving a sentence of total confinement in a DOC facility cannot vote. Voting before the right is restored is a class C felony under RCW 29A.84.660. Misdemeanor convictions do not remove voting rights in Washington.

People with out of state or federal felony convictions have their voting rights automatically restored as long as they are not currently incarcerated for that conviction. Upon release from total confinement, people must re register to vote even if they were previously registered. Re registration can be done online at votewa.gov, by mail, in person at county auditor or elections offices, or at state agencies such as DOL and DSHS. Contact the ACLU of Washington at 206 624 2180 or the ACLU Washington voting guide at aclu wa.org for eligibility questions, or call WADOC at 800 430 9674.

Certificate of Discharge and Certificates of Restoration of Opportunity

When an individual has completed all requirements of their sentence, including any and all legal financial obligations, and while under the custody and supervision of WADOC, the secretary or secretary's designee shall notify the sentencing court. The sentencing court shall then discharge the individual and provide them with a Certificate of Discharge, either in person or by mail to their last known address. The instructions and forms to petition the court for a Certificate of Discharge are available at the Administrative Office of the Courts. Individuals should work with the sentencing court, prosecutor, and county clerk to obtain this certificate.

Washington also offers Certificates of Restoration of Opportunity (CROP), which help reduce some barriers to employment for adults and juveniles by providing an opportunity for individuals to become more employable. A CROP can make it easier to secure housing, professional licenses, and employment after release. Contact WADOC for current information on CROP eligibility and the application process.

Community supervision and reentry

WADOC manages not only state operated adult prisons but also supervises adult incarcerated individuals who live in the community. Washington's community supervision system (parole and community custody) is administered by WADOC. People under community supervision who are not in total confinement CAN vote under HB 1078.

WADOC's Reentry and Community Programming services help prepare incarcerated people for release. Programming inside facilities includes education, vocational training, and substance use treatment. Community corrections officers supervise people after release. A disciplinary conviction inside prison can affect community custody eligibility and release dates. Contact InmateAid for current information on reentry programming and community supervision requirements at the specific WADOC facility.

The bottom line for Washington

Washington's prison rights landscape is defined by HB 1078 (January 1, 2022) automatically restoring voting rights upon release from total confinement (including for people on parole and community supervision), the Certificate of Discharge issued when all sentence requirements including legal financial obligations are complete, CROP certificates to reduce employment barriers, WADOC's publicly available policies at doc.wa.gov/records/policies, dedicated Mail Services information at doc.wa.gov/corrections/services/mail.htm, and WADOC headquarters at 360 725 8213.

The rights in this guide are real: adequate medical care under the Eighth Amendment, mail per WADOC policy (doc.wa.gov/corrections/services/mail.htm), phone access with FCC caps, visitation per WADOC procedures with facility specific schedules, the grievance process that must be exhausted before federal court, due process in disciplinary hearings, PREA protections, religious accommodation, ADA access, and voting rights automatically restored upon release from total confinement including during parole and community supervision under HB 1078. Document everything, file every grievance, contact the ACLU of Washington at 206 624 2180 for systemic concerns, check the ACLU Washington voting guide at aclu wa.org for voting eligibility, and stay in contact through InmateAid.