Jayme Biendl served with distinction as a correctional officer at the Monroe Correctional Complex. She was a courageous, dedicated public servant who was killed in the line of duty. Her memory deserves the highest honors; her family and friends deserve time to grieve.
For now, that’s what matters. Recriminations and the inevitable political debate over the circumstances of Biendl’s death can wait until the initial shock has subsided and she has been laid to rest.
The immediate reaction to Saturday’s brutal event, in which Biendl, 34, was apparently strangled while supervising the prison chapel, showed a community jarred to its foundation. Dozens of corrections officers and others held vigil outside the complex Sunday night. They spoke of a colleague who took pride in her job, and carried it out with tenacity and professionalism. Friends described “a real sweetheart” who was extremely well-liked in her hometown of Granite Falls.
Like others who swear to protect and serve, Biendl knowingly put her personal safety at risk on a daily basis. She also went above and beyond, earning the highest respect of her peers, who chose her as corrections officer of the year at Monroe in 2008.
Her loss is one felt throughout Snohomish County, the state, and the law enforcement community.
To be sure, plenty of hard questions need to be answered. A thorough examination of prison policies is called for, and of how events were handled as they unfolded Saturday night. Whether a prisoner with a violent history who is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole should ever be given less than high-security status will be an important topic of discussion.
Much debate will take place in Olympia, where budget cuts have hit corrections as hard as other high priorities. Even though there is no clear indication that budget cuts played a role in Saturday’s tragedy — the chapel had long been staffed by just one officer — it shines a bright light on the dangers correctional officers face. And that’s a legitimate part of the discussion over prison funding.
However, Biendl’s memory won’t be well served if it’s used unreasonably for political gain. The emotions surrounding this horrific event will be hard to keep in check at times. Everyone in the funding debate should be mindful of that.
For the time being, what matters most is to honor the contributions made by a valued officer in a career, and a life, that ended much too soon.
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