Washington State Department of Corrections

11/11/2026

250 Years of Having Each Other's Back 🇺🇸 A new mural inside Stafford Creek Corrections Center captures the timeless nature of military service. Measuring more than 14 feet across, it pays homage to soldiers throughout America's 250-year history. Painted by incarcerated veterans Troy Oakes and Janson Smalling, the mural helps incarcerated veterans process trauma and find healing through shared experiences.

11/09/2026

We're helping parents restore bonds with their children, one chapter at a time! 📚 Our new pilot project with Bookelicious brings custom book deliveries directly into the homes of parents in partial confinement programs. Watch to learn more:

11/05/2026

Our hearts are heavy as we mourn with the Spokane County Sheriff's Office. Our thoughts are with the families, friends, and colleagues of the two deputies involved in the tragic shooting this week. We stand with our law enforcement family during this incredibly difficult time. 💙

10/28/2026

Floral leis and tropical print skirts replaced prison uniforms for the day at the Washington Corrections Center for Women. 🌺 Incarcerated women celebrated Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander culture through music, dances, and shared traditions. This event was so much more than a cultural showcase — it served as a reminder of the power that community has in the successful rehabilitation of these women. Read more about the event here: https://tinyurl.com/5ak9aewh

Special thanks to CJK Community Homes for supporting this event, and City of Tacoma Government Deputy Mayor Joe Bushnell, Ruston Councilmember Naomi Wilson, and Pierce County Councilmember Bryan Yambe for joining the celebration!

10/27/2026

Did you know that Washington state restores voting rights to citizens with felony convictions immediately upon their release from prison? Even if they’re on community supervision or in a partial confinement program, they can register to vote! Having strong ties to the community through civic engagement and voting increases the ability for reintegration, reduces recidivism, and makes communities safer.

For more information, visit https://www.freethevotewa.org/ or https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections

Please note: To vote in the 2026 General Election, if you are not already registered to vote, you must register in person by November 3. Visit any county elections office to complete a voter registration form.

10/26/2026

Lissè Medical Aesthetics in Gig Harbor is helping incarcerated women from the Washington Corrections Center for Women remove tattoos that reflect the life they left or the trauma they have faced – helping take away financial and logistical barriers in their recovery and rehabilitation.

Domonique arrived at the small second-floor room in Tacoma for her appointment to erase a part of her past written on her face.

She entered, nervous, to the space resembling the other tattoo artists’ offices on the floor above a music venue. But her appointment was at Zap Zap Tattoo Removal, and that, for her, was far more daunting. Getting a tattoo on her face was easy. Getting a tattoo removed — and undoing everything a tattoo represents — is harder.

“(The tattoo) didn’t hurt at all. The first time the needle moves, you’re fine,” she said, gesturing to the large laser machine as she waited in a pink chair. “This is 10 times scarier than a tattoo gun.”

Despite the pain, she wanted to remove the image of “an ex-boyfriend, if that’s what you want to call it” and his name from her face. She had already come to Zap Zap for multiple sessions as part of the shop’s Project Un-Inked program, a free tattoo removal service she was referred to through an organization that works with s*x trafficking survivors.

(✍️ Paige Cornwell / The Seattle Times | 📷 .photo / The Seattle Times)

Read the full story: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/free-tattoo-removal-programs-erase-constant-reminder-of-past/

10/13/2026

What happens when we bring nature into nature-deprived places? 🐢 The Sustainability in Prisons Project turtle program at Cedar Creek Corrections Center was recently featured in the documentary film How to Live on Earth, highlighting the important work these incarcerated turtle technicians are doing to rehabilitate the northwestern pond turtle. This program is making a positive difference for these men and these turtles. Watch:

10/09/2026

Registration is now open for the 15th annual Jayme Biendl Memorial 5K Walk/Run. Join us on Sunday, January 24, 2027, as we honor and remember Correctional Officer Jayme Biendl, who was killed in the line of duty at the Monroe Correctional Complex. Register at https://register.pacificmultisports.com/Events/1428/Register 💙

🚨 REGISTRATION IS OFFICIALLY OPEN! 🚨

Join us on January 24, 2027 for the Jayme Biendl Memorial 5K and help honor the life and legacy of Officer Jayme Biendl. Participants can also purchase a special 15-Year Commemorative Challenge Coin to mark this milestone event.

🏃 Friends & Family Early Registration Discount available through October
🪙 Limited 15-Year Commemorative Challenge Coin available
👟 Run, walk, and honor together

Register today and secure your spot:
🔗 https://register.pacificmultisports.com/Events/1428/Register

10/08/2026

The gym at Clallam Bay Corrections Center was filled with song, dance, prayer, and laughter during the prison’s recent powwow. Indigenous incarcerated individuals gathered with their loved ones to restore hope and strengthen community connections. Powwows are important for these men, offering them a sense of belonging and identity as they honor their ancestors and keep their culture alive. Whether dancing, playing musical chairs, or eating buffalo stew, these traditional gatherings are critical to their healing and rehabilitation.

10/07/2026

Our golf program at Cedar Creek is preparing incarcerated men for something much bigger than the next shot: life after release. VICE Sports Host Jordan Rogers joins the players on the course to learn how golf is being used to practice discipline, manage frustration, think through consequences, and make different choices. Watch:

Inside Cedar Creek Corrections Center in Washington, a prison golf ...