Plan to close facilities for people exiting Washington prisons draws backlash
Two facilities for incarcerated people transitioning out of prison are on the chopping block as Washington lawmakers look for ways to close the state’s multibillion-dollar budget shortfall.
In his final spending plan, former Gov. Jay Inslee proposed shuttering the reentry centers, located in Bellingham and Yakima, to save $10.5 million in the next two-year budget. The centers are running half-empty, so officials see an opportunity to right-size capacity.
But the state employees union and others have decried the proposal in recent weeks.
Speaking as a private citizen, the manager of the Bellingham reentry center, Vicky Neufeld, said it was a “total shock.”
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/02/24/plan-to-close-facilities-for-people-exiting-washington-prisons-draws-backlash/