Urge Senate to Give Corrections Ombudsman Bill (SB 5295) a Hearing

Please call or email Sen. Jim Hargrove, chair of the Senate Human Services & Corrections Committee, to urge him to give SB 5295, the Corrections Ombudsman bill, a hearing.  Sen. Hargrove’s district 24 covers Clallam, Grays Harbor, and Jefferson counties. Calls from people in those counties are particularly needed, but calls from throughout the state will also be helpful … Read more

Support Bill to Create a Corrections Ombudsman

Sen. Jim Kastama (D-25th District) has filed a bill to establish acorrections ombudsman, which would fulfill one of FCWPP’s major goals for this legislative session.Current co-sponsors include Sen. Dan Swecker (R-20th District), Sen.Karen Fraser (D-22nd District), Sen. Chris Marr (D-6th District), Sen.Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-36th District), and Sen. Debbie Regala (D-27th District).  Please thank them. Other senators can … Read more

Interest-Rate Reduction for Ex-offenders

Action: Please call or e-mail members of the Senate Rules Committee to pull HB-1359 out of rules and to the floor for a vote, and call or email members of the House Rules Committee to pull SB-5611 out of rules to the floor for a vote.  Each of these identical bills drafted by FCWPP has passed … Read more

Help Create a Taskforce to Review Offender Programs, Sentencing and Supervision

We are excited that SB-6308 has passed out of the Senate and is now in the House Rules Committee.   Action: Please contact House Rules members to request a pull for second reading (debate) and third reading (floor vote).  This is the last step for passage! Background: This bill would establish a joint committee to examine … Read more

Task force to examine issues of depleted uranium and hazardous substance exposure for the National Guard

We need quick action.  the Senate Budget has included our task forceconcept to examine issues of depleted uranium and hazardous substanceexposure for the National Guard. The House Budget does notcontain corresponding language. The next step in the process is a Joint Committee of the House andSenate to reconcile the two bills. Our last and only … Read more

Interest-Rate Reduction for Ex-offenders

Action: Please call or e-mail members of the Senate Judiciary Committee tovote HB-1359 out of committee and members of the House Judiciary Committeeto hear and vote SB-5611 out of committee.  See the Background below forwhy a Committee needs to process a bill from the other chamber. Background: HB-1359 has passed the Washington State House and SB-5611 haspassed … Read more

Prison Industries Bill / Committee to Review Offender Programs / Protect our National Guard from DU

There are three bills that require immediate action this week if they are going to survive 1.  Prison Industries Bill Action: Contact House Rules Committee members and ask that HJR 4221 be pulled from the Rules Committee and sent to the House floor so that floor action can be taken before the cutoff, scheduled for … Read more

Criminal Justice and Mental Health Alert: PBS Frontline Program and bill E2SSB 5763 awaits Governor’s Signature

PBS Frontline is presenting a program on how the mentally ill people end up incarcerated in our prison system:  Nearly ten times as many mentally ill Americans are in prison as in psychiatric hospitals. In Ohio 16% of inmates have been diagnosed with a mental illness (a typical state percentage). The New Asylums, a PBS Frontline program … Read more

SB 5611: Criminal Justice Alert

Rising prison populations and high recidivism (re-offense) rates affect all of us in terms of public safety and diversion of limited public funds.  A bill before the legislature, developed by the Friends Committee and key allies, will help ex-offenders become successful citizens once they are released.   Ex-offenders usually leave prison with several thousand dollars … Read more

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