Senate Republicans blame Inslee for release of prisoners

  • By Rachel La Corte Associated Press
  • Wednesday, May 25, 2016 12:23pm
  • Local News

OLYMPIA — A Washington state Republican Senate panel investigation casts blame at both Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee and former Department of Corrections Secretary Bernie Warner for a three-year delay in fixing an error that led to the early release of thousands of prisoners.

The report was released Wednesday, three months after Inslee released his own independent report conducted by two former federal prosecutors that found that a series of missteps within the agency and the lack of prioritization or follow up by several employees were to blame for the agency’s failure to quickly fix the software programming error once it was brought to their attention. The error, which affected sentencing calculations, ultimately led to the early release of about 3,000 prisoners. The error went unnoticed at the agency for more than a decade and then went unfixed for an additional three years.

At least two deaths have been tied to the early releases.

While Warner drew most of the lawmakers’ ire, Inslee was criticized in the latest report for not having more oversight over the agency.

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 Senate report says that the governor’s report ignored key issues related to how the agency was run, saying that “mismanagement was systemic, and it started at the top levels of state government.”

“This was not a ‘software glitch,”’ the report reads. “It was a failure of leadership.”

The lawmakers suggested legislation that incorporates several of their report recommendations, which include a review of staffing levels in the IT and records departments, requiring the governor to have systems in place to directly monitor performance at key agencies, and requiring an agency-wide hand count in the event of any future computer error that leads to early prisoner releases. The lawmakers also want to create an ombuds office at the Department of Corrections that is independent of both the agency and the governor.

In a written statement, Inslee spokeswoman Jaime Smith said that there was “nothing new” in the Senate report.

“Senate Republicans say exactly what the governor has been saying for months – that this starts with Bernie Warner,” she wrote, calling the report “a clearly partisan effort that is already being used for political purposes.”

The problem began with the agency’s move to comply with a July 2002 state Supreme Court ruling that required the Department of Corrections to apply good-behavior credits earned in county jail to state prison sentences. However, an incorrect computer formula ended up giving prisoners with sentencing enhancements too much so-called good time credit.

The agency was first alerted to the error in December 2012, when a victim’s family learned of a prisoner’s imminent release. The family did its own calculations and found he was being credited with too much time.

An assistant attorney general advised the agency at the time that it wasn’t necessary to manually recalculate other prisoners’ sentences, saying that waiting for a programming fix for the other cases should be sufficient. However, that fix was repeatedly delayed for the next three years.

That delay, the report states, “was largely due to failed management, starting with former Secretary Warner’s grossly inadequate management style and practices.”

The Senate, which held a series of public hearings earlier this year, cited employees who said Warner was a poor communicator who failed to make timely decisions.

Warner, who was appointed by then-Gov. Chris Gregoire in 2011, left his job last October to work at a private company in Utah that runs prisons in eight states. A phone message left for Warner was not immediately returned.

The report argues that “lack of competent oversight from the governor’s office contributed to the delay” of the required fix and that “the governor’s office failed to recognize the serious management problems within DOC and took no action to correct them. “

The fallout from the error included a resignation, two demotions and two reprimands of state employees. But the Senate report says that the governor, who is up for re-election this year, focused on blaming mid-level managers instead of higher up the chain at the agency or within the governor’s office.

Republican Sen. Mike Padden, the chairman of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, said Wednesday that the Senate’s report “is another viewpoint, and, I think, a valid one.”

The Senate report notes that while the panel’s investigation has “largely concluded” it may later issue a supplemental report if the senators receive more information.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Vehicles travel along Mukilteo Speedway on Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Mukilteo cameras go live to curb speeding on Speedway

Starting Friday, an automated traffic camera system will cover four blocks of Mukilteo Speedway. A 30-day warning period is in place.

Carli Brockman lets her daughter Carli, 2, help push her ballot into the ballot drop box on the Snohomish County Campus on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Here’s who filed for the primary election in Snohomish County

Positions with three or more candidates will go to voters Aug. 5 to determine final contenders for the Nov. 4 general election.

Students from Explorer Middle School gather Wednesday around a makeshift memorial for Emiliano “Emi” Munoz, who died Monday, May 5, after an electric bicycle accident in south Everett. (Aspen Anderson / The Herald)
Community and classmates mourn death of 13-year-old in bicycle accident

Emiliano “Emi” Munoz died from his injuries three days after colliding with a braided cable.

Danny Burgess, left, and Sandy Weakland, right, carefully pull out benthic organisms from sediment samples on Thursday, May 1, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Got Mud?’ Researchers monitor the health of the Puget Sound

For the next few weeks, the state’s marine monitoring team will collect sediment and organism samples across Puget Sound

Everett postal workers gather for a portrait to advertise the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County letter carriers prepare for food drive this Saturday

The largest single-day food drive in the country comes at an uncertain time for federal food bank funding.

Everett
Everett considers ordinance to require more apprentice labor

It would require apprentices to work 15% of the total labor hours for construction or renovation on most city projects over $1 million.

A person walks past Laura Haddad’s “Cloud” sculpture before boarding a Link car on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024 in SeaTac, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Sound Transit seeks input on Everett bike, pedestrian improvements

The transit agency is looking for feedback about infrastructure improvements around new light rail stations.

A standard jet fuel, left, burns with extensive smoke output while a 50 percent SAF drop-in jet fuel, right, puts off less smoke during a demonstration of the difference in fuel emissions on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Sustainable aviation fuel center gets funding boost

A planned research and development center focused on sustainable aviation… Continue reading

Dani Mundell, the athletic director at Everett Public Schools, at Everett Memorial Stadium on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Will Geschke / The Herald)
Everett Public Schools to launch girls flag football as varsity sport

The first season will take place in the 2025-26 school year during the winter.

Clothing Optional performs at the Fisherman's Village Music Festival on Thursday, May 15 in Everett, Washington. (Will Geschke / The Herald)
Everett gets its fill of music at Fisherman’s Village

The annual downtown music festival began Thursday and will continue until the early hours of Sunday.

Seen here are the blue pens Gov. Bob Ferguson uses to sign bills. Companies and other interest groups are hoping he’ll opt for red veto ink on a range of tax bills. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard)
Tesla, Netflix, Philip Morris among those pushing WA governor for tax vetoes

Gov. Bob Ferguson is getting lots of requests to reject new taxes ahead of a Tuesday deadline for him to act on bills.

Jerry Cornfield / Washington State Standard
A new law in Washington will assure students are offered special education services until they are 22. State Sen. Adrian Cortes, D-Battle Ground, a special education teacher, was the sponsor. He spoke of the need for increased funding and support for public schools at a February rally of educators, parents and students at the Washington state Capitol.
Washington will offer special education to students longer under new law

A new law triggered by a lawsuit will ensure public school students… Continue reading

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.