During an eight-month period beginning in 2005, a 24-member task force conducted surveys, interviews and research to find out how Washington could better serve children of prisoners.
The task force was a collaborative effort, made up of members of the Department of Corrections, the Department of Social and Health Services, law enforcement, and various community and volunteer organizations.
The goal was to assess the current statewide system and to make suggestions on how it could be improved to encourage offenders to stay out of crime and to reduce the likelihood that their children would end up in prison.
There is no systematic collection of data about children during the corrections process.
There is no model protocol for law enforcement for handling children of offenders who are or are not present at the time of the arrest.
No special training is provided at key institutions that may deal with children of prisoners.
Services to prison families are scarce and exist autonomously from the prison system.
Financial and distance issues are a barrier to children’s ability to keep in contact with their incarcerated parent.
Create a new position at the Department of Corrections to oversee parenting issues associated with incarceration.
Develop protocols for gathering information on children during an individual’s arrest, sentencing and admission into the corrections system.
Develop a statewide law-enforcement model for dealing with children during arrests.
Provide education and training for members of agencies dealing with prisoners’ children.
Create “family resource centers” to serve as liaisons between state agencies and community organizations.
Provide child care during court proceedings.
Require the DOC to make an effort to place offenders at the facility closest to their home.
Cut costs of phone calls from inmates.
Extend and strengthen partnerships with community organizations that provide transportation to prison.
Subsidize use of mass transit or Greyhound buses for visitation.
Explore alternative modes of communication, such as videoconferencing.
