Monroe prison one of state's most costly

MONROE -- A new maximum-security unit could make housing inmates even more costly at the Monroe prison complex, already the third most expensive among the state's 15 prisons.

Keeping an inmate behind bars in Monroe now on average costs taxpayers $36,836 a year, according the state Department of Corrections. That's far higher than the average at most of the state's other prisons.

It also amounts to about two-thirds of the median annual household income in Monroe.

"I'm kind of surprised about the high cost" at the Monroe prison complex, the state's largest prison with 2,446 beds, said Rep. Kirk Pearson, R-Monroe.

Monroe prison officials recently revealed a new $39.5 million, maximum-security unit. The 200-bed unit is set to be fully open by Jan. 8, 2008. Other prisons are expected to send dangerous offenders to the new unit in Monroe.

"That could be a cost driver," said Pearson, a member of the House Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee, which deals with prison issues.

The corrections department calculates the average annual cost per inmate using the total spent to operate a prison, divided by the average daily population of inmates. Only two prisons in the state logged higher per-inmate costs than Monroe in 2007.

The cost was $49,705 at the Ahtanum View Correctional Complex in Yakima, which houses old, ill and disabled inmates. The price tag was $39,621 at Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor, which processes all female offenders and allows some to give birth.

The average cost among all the state's prisons was $29,590. The cheapest place to house prisoners is Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Connell, Eastern Washington, at $20,421 per prisoner.

Many factors play into the high cost at the Monroe prison complex, officials say.

The complex has a sex offender unit and a 400-bed special offender unit for inmates with mental problems. Both types of prisoner require specialized employees and special care. The complex employs about 1,100 people.

"The Monroe complex is a very specialized facility," Ken Quinn, the prison complex's superintendent, said adding he's uncertain whether the new maximum-security unit will add costs.

Plus, the state often transfers inmates who require a high level of medical care to the Monroe prison complex. Monroe has Valley General Hospital and is close to other health-care centers along I-5. That means medical bills for inmates are typically higher in Monroe.

Pearson, who has lived in Monroe his entire life, said he believes management issues also add to the costs at the prison complex.

"I hear what's going on all the time," Pearson said. "There was a lack of leadership at the department."

Washington Secretary of Corrections Harold Clarke announced his resignation earlier this month. His last day was Friday. State lawmakers and prison workers openly criticized the management style of Clarke, who faced public anger in late 2006 after felons on community supervision killed three King County law enforcement officers.

The shaky leadership in Olympia has led to low morale at the Monroe prison complex, Pearson said.

Chief Deputy Secretary Eldon Vail has been named as the department's interim leader.

"I hope the new administration in Olympia will be more transparent and explain how tax dollars are being spent," Pearson said.

The Monroe prison has had problems with recruiting and retaining correctional officers, Pearson and Monroe City Councilman Mitch Ruth said.

The Monroe prison complex often loses its correctional officers to Snohomish and King counties, which pay more for jail officers, Ruth said. The high turnover leaves the prison complex with less experienced officers and high costs for training new officers.

The cost of living is higher in Monroe, one of the fastest-growing cities in Washington with about 16,000 people.

"But wages are identical," Ruth said. "There's no adjustment for regions."

The prison complex is in the city limits and uses the city's utility services. The complex lost 19 million gallons of water because of a leaky pipe. In September, the state agreed to pay the city $219,999.

"Goof-ups like that drive up the cost," Pearson said. "The department makes mistakes. Taxpayers pay for that."

The prison complex doesn't pay the city the same utility rates as other businesses, Ruth said. That needs to change, even though the complex is considered an essential public facility under state law.

"The city of Monroe doesn't have the responsibility to subsidize the Department of Corrections," he said.