Parole: Reinstate in Washington state

We need to raise awareness of the fact that Washington state does not have parole.

That’s right. No opportunity for the majority of incarcerated people to ever have a review of their sentence, no matter how young they were when they committed the crime, no matter how many years they have been in prison, no matter how they have changed, no matter who they are today.

A responsible and restorative system that focuses on positive behavioral changes benefits all of us. In the past, people who were incarcerated in Washington state were allowed to earn early release time (“good” time) at 33%. Let’s restore that practice of earned release time and support education, skills training and other programs that are proven to reduce crime and increase public safety.

This is the time to be smart about increasing success upon release from prison and reducing the revolving door practices that do nothing to improve anyone’s life.

Pass House Bill 1282, as requested by the Department of Corrections.

Noreen Light, Olympia