The Jan. 29 killing of Monroe corrections officer Jayme Biendl has focused attention on the safety of the people doing the difficult and dangerous work of running Washington’s prisons.
State lawmakers responded by approving legislation, now awaiting the governor’s signature, clearing the way for officers to use special body alarms, panic buttons on radios and, in some instances, pepper spray.
A federal Government Accountability Office report released this month suggests the federal Bureau of Prisons could benefit from an evaluation of protective equipment for its corrections officers, including providing them with pepper spray, batons and better access to other weapons. Washington Post columnist Joe Davidson wrote Thursday that the American Federation of Government Employees is citing the report’s findings as important to the safety of federal prison workers.Pepper spray canisters, along with special alarms that signal for help even if an officer can’t, were recommended by federal corrections experts who reviewed Washington’s prison policies and practices at the request of Gov. Chris Gregoire. The review was part of the examination of the circumstances leading up to Biendl’s killing in the chapel at the Washington State Reformatory. An internal state Corrections Department review is underway, and results are expected within the next several weeks.
While the federal report focusing on Monroe suggested new equipment for officers, it also made the point that pepper spray and body alarms alone aren’t going to make Washington’s prisons safer. The GAO’s report reaches similar conclusions:
“Equipment available to officers is one important part of officer safety; however, there are other factors–such as those related to the movement of inmates throughout the facility and the skills and training of prison personnel–that impact both officers’ safety and the overall safety of the institution.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
