State to demolish prison camp near Arlington

ARLINGTON — The state Department of Corrections is setting free a troubled case with an extensive criminal past.

It’s not an inmate; it’s a prison.

The state plans to raze the former Indian Ridge Correctional Facility, once a 180-bed minimum security camp that provided inmate crews for fighting forest fires and other work in the woods.

“We’re not intending to reopen it,” corrections department spokeswoman Selena Davis said. “We are planning to demolish it within the next year.”

Corrections officials said Indian Ridge was built in the early 1980s to serve as an work camp providing labor on state Department of Natural Resources land. In the 1990s, it was turned into a youth camp for juvenile offenders. Later, it was used to house low-risk county inmates during a Snohomish County Jail construction project.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

The leased property will be returned to the Department of Natural Resources.

The site has stood vacant in recent years and became a magnet for vandals, metal thieves and squatters. Law enforcement agencies also have used the abandoned campus for training exercises.

Last year, Indian Ridge was considered — and quickly rejected — as a potential location for a 1,024-bed lockup for offenders making the transition from county jails into the state prison system. The state was looking to build a short-term center where inmates are assessed for physical and mental health as well as security concerns before being placed in other prisons.

State corrections officials said Indian Ridge can’t be expanded because of limits on the water supply and sewage treatment capacity.

It would take $5 million to bring it into usable condition, Davis said.

David Jansen, capital programs director for the corrections department, said the site simply doesn’t work.

“Given its small size and limitations on making it bigger, it’s not going to be cost effective for the state to operate,’ Jansen said.

State workers have removed furniture and other items, but equipment, such as a large generator, has been vandalized. The corrections department also plans to take down and store a story pole that was on the property.

State Sen. Val Stevens, R-Arlington, said on a recent Sunday she went to Indian Ridge where she walked onto the grounds and found unsecured buildings and damaged property. She said she doesn’t object to the demolition. She does question why the site isn’t locked up to prevent anyone from wandering onto the property and stealing things, or worse, getting hurt.

Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, said if the buildings are useless “then tear them down” but the state agency should not get rid of the property.

“It’s a valuable asset,” he said. “The population of the state is going to grow. At some point it would be smart to have the property if needed.”

Jim Hinton has spent years helping the state fight forest fires. His company provides equipment, such as tanker trucks, during fires.

Hinton said he always was impressed with the Indian Ridge fire crews and the way the inmates took care of their work camp.

Yards and flower beds were well kept and the buildings were spotless, he said.

“Those guys were really proud of that place,” he said.

The corrections department has been leasing the 20 acres that made up the Indian Ridge campus for $10,000 a year.

It will end its lease at the end of 2012 and the land will go back to the Department of Natural Resources.

“We are basically going to reforest the land,” said Bryan Flint, a spokesman for the natural resources department.

Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Edmonds Mayor Mike Rosen goes through an informational slideshow about the current budget situation in Edmonds during a roundtable event at the Edmonds Waterfront Center on Monday, April 7, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds mayor recommends $19M levy lid lift for November

The city’s biennial budget assumed a $6 million levy lid lift. The final levy amount is up to the City Council.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

A firefighting helicopter carries a bucket of water from a nearby river to the Bolt Creek Fire on Saturday, Sep. 10, 2022, on U.S. 2 near Index, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
How Snohomish County property owners can prepare for wildfire season

Clean your roofs, gutters and flammable material while completing a 5-foot-buffer around your house.

(City of Everett)
Everett’s possible new stadium has a possible price tag

City staff said a stadium could be built for $82 million, lower than previous estimates. Bonds and private investment would pay for most of it.

Jennifer Humelo, right, hugs Art Cass outside of Full Life Care Snohomish County on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘I’ll lose everything’: Snohomish County’s only adult day health center to close

Full Life Care in Everett, which supports adults with disabilities, will shut its doors July 19 due to state funding challenges.

The age of bridge 503 that spans Swamp Creek can be seen in its timber supports and metal pipes on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Lynnwood, Washington. The bridge is set to be replaced by the county in 2025. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Snohomish County report: 10 bridges set for repairs, replacement

An annual report the county released May 22 details the condition of local bridges and future maintenance they may require.

The Edmonds City Council gathers to discuss annexing into South County Fire on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Community group presents vision for Edmonds’ fiscal future

Members from Keep Edmonds Vibrant suggested the council focus on revenue generation and a levy lid lift to address its budget crisis.

Traffic moves north and south along I-5 through Everett on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County saw increase in traffic deaths in 2024

Even though fatalities fell statewide, 64 people died in Snohomish County traffic incidents in 2024, the most in nine years.

Some SnoCo stores see shortages after cyberattack on grocery supplier

Some stores, such as Whole Foods and US Foods CHEF’STORE, informed customers that some items may be temporarily unavailable.

A rainbow LGBTQ+ pride flag hanging from a flag pole outside of Lynnwood City Hall moves in the wind on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood to develop policy after pride flag controversy

Earlier this month, the city denied a group’s request to raise an LGBTQ+ pride flag at a public park, citing the lack of a clear policy.

The Washington state Capitol on April 18, 2025. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard)
Washington governor wants agencies to look for deeper cuts

The state’s financial turmoil hasn’t subsided. It may get worse when a new revenue forecast comes out this month.

Members of the California National Guard and federal law enforcement stand guard as people protest outside of the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, on Tuesday. (Philip Cheung/The New York Times)
Ferguson prepares for possibility of Trump deploying troops in Washington

The governor planned to meet with the state’s top military official Tuesday, after the president sent the National Guard and Marines to respond to Los Angeles protests.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.