Washington State Penitentiary addresses coronavirus outbreak

WALLA WALLA—The Washington State Penitentiary is experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak in one of the housing units. In response to the outbreak, officials have developed a plan to keep inmates and staff safe.

As of Tuesday, the prison had 121 confirmed COVID cases, with 53 of those cases currently active. The facility houses a total of 2,284 incarcerated individuals. Ten Washington State Penitentiary (WSP) employees have tested positive.

The coronavirus outbreak began in late July when an inmate began displaying symptoms consistent with COVID-19. The housing unit was placed on quarantine, and incarcerated individuals who tested positive were further isolated. The facility has placed surrounding units, Units 8 and 10, on separate movement to prevent intermingling and spreading the virus further.

‘Across the enterprise, the Department has developed and continues to update its screening, testing and infection protocols to address changes and adapt to the Department of Health (DOH) and Centers for Disease Control guidance,’ said Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) Communications Director Janelle Gutherie in an email.

Beginning in March, DOC reduced the number of inter-facility transfers by 75 percent and now requires all new intakes to be tested and housed separately from the general population for at least 14 days, regardless of whether incarcerated individuals show symptoms or not.

The department now requires all incarcerated individuals and staff to wear face masks, as well as appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE), handwashing, and social distancing.

Washington State DOC has increased access to hand sanitizer across its facilities and has changed the flow of traffic for staff entering and exiting each building. Any person entering a DOC facility must be screened, including a series of questions and a temperature check.

Starting August 24, DOC will begin serial testing all staff. The facility also holds meetings with the Local Family Council (LFC) to discuss events within the prison’s walls, including COVID procedures, entertainment, and education, among other topics. The next meeting is scheduled for October 3, 2020. For more information on the LFC’s meeting, visit http://www.doc.wa.gov/family/council-wsp.htm.

For up-to-date information on procedures and coronavirus response, visit https://doc.wa.gov/corrections/covid-19/default.htm.