September 10, 2024

Dear Governor Inslee,
As formerly incarcerated persons who have professional, as well as deep personal knowledge of
the process of rehabilitation, we ask that you respect our lived expertise and release youth in our state’s
Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR) facilities who have served 75% or more of their sentence and/or open other
avenues of release for these young people.
Both you, Governor, and DCYF Secretary Ross Hunter publicly acknowledge that the conditions
inside JR facilities have devolved into an emergency. We agree.
Moreover, the overcrowded conditions inside JR facilities preclude DCYF from carrying out its
agency mandate. Legislative intent is that DCYF facilitate rehabilitation inside its JR facilities by
administering an environment conducive to that mission. Presently, the opposite is happening – and, to be
clear, the opposite of rehabilitation is harm; harm to the young people in JR facilities, their families, and
their communities.
Facilitating a rehabilitative environment for incarcerated young people is not a complicated
formulation; incarcerated young people require no more than what any other young person needs.
Rehabilitation is fostered in a pro-social and nurturing environment of active engagement in which young
people can work toward and achieve their potential. The environment should include the following
elements:
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Education – young people need a functional education system that provides K-12; GED; highered; vocational; and other certification pathways for them to improve themselves.

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Connection – young people need to be supported in their connection with family, community, and
community-based mentors from the same communities and/or lived experience as the young
person.

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Basic Needs – young people need adequate nutrition; medical care; positive and constructive
outlets for physical activity; and time outdoors (i.e., fresh air and sunshine).

As you know, the above list does not correlate with the current and longstanding conditions in our
state’s JR facilities. Current conditions are:
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Incessant Lockdowns -- young people are kept locked in cells nearly without respite.

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Unchecked Use-of-Force Incidents -- young people are reporting constant physical abuse from
both JR staff and “DCYF-deputized” DOC staff.

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Restricted Access to Bathroom Facilities -- young people are locked in cells without plumbing
and their pleas to be let out to use a bathroom are often ignored, or the young people face
retributive repercussions.

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Not Meeting Basic Needs – the state is not meeting young people’s basic needs of nutrition;
education; physical activity/exercise; medical and mental health services; and visitation.

1225 South Weller St, Suite 420, Seattle, WA 98144 I (206) 322-2444 I teamchild.org

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RCW 9.94A.870 empowers you to “[c]all the sentencing guidelines commission into an
emergency meeting for the purpose of evaluating the standard ranges and other standards. The
commission may adopt any revision or amendment to the standard ranges or other standards that it
believes appropriate to deal with the emergency situation.”
Governor Inslee, we call upon you to act to address the harm taking place, and to begin to move
in a direction in which rehabilitation is possible in our state’s JR facilities. We ask that you release youth
who have served 75% or more of their sentence and/or open other avenues of release for these young
people.
Respectfully,
Arthur Longworth
Policy Manager, TeamChild
arthur.longworth@teamchild.org
(206) 322-2479
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Anthony Powers, anthony@americanequityconsulting.com
American Equity & Justice Group, Executive Director, Board President
[Please note, I support JR Executive staff in their efforts; they are doing the best they can.
However, staff are constrained by an overburdened institution attempting to operate
beyond its capacity.]
Devon Adams, devon@collectivejusticenw.org
Collective Justice, Community Engagement Director
Percy Levy, percylevy1@gmail.com
WA Defenders Association, Outreach Specialist
Black Lives Matter, Board of Directors/Treasurer
Redemption Auto Sales, Owner
Faraji Blakeney, farajibhakti@yogabehindbars.org
Yoga Behind Bars, Co-Executive Director
Kimonti Carter, kimonti@blackprisonerscaucuscg.org
The Black Prisoners Caucus Community Group, President
TEACH Education Committee, Director
Office of Public Defense, Community Outreach Specialist
Participatory Justice, Mobilization & Community Engagement
Paul Wright, pwright@prisonlegalnews.org
Human Rights Defense Center, Director
Prison Legal News, Editor
Derek Gronquist, dgronquist@humanrightsdefensecenter.org
Human Rights Defense Center, Paralegal
Gail Brashear, gail@seattleclemencyproject.org
Seattle Clemency Project, Paralegal
Eddie Purpose, eddie@progresspushers.org
Progress Pushers, Executive Director
Jacob Ivan Schmitt, jacob@justussolutions
Just Us Solutions, Executive Director
Rory Andes, rory@justussolutions
Just Us Solutions, Assistant Director
Willie Nobles, willie_1020@yahoo.com
Black Prisoners Caucus Community Group, Vice President
The Change Program

1225 South Weller St, Suite 420, Seattle, WA 98144 I (206) 322-2444 I teamchild.org

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Cc

L. Elizabeth Shatswell, elizabeth.shatswell@ithaka.org
ITHAKA, Correctional Education Manager
University of Puget Sound, Research Consultant
Eugene Youngblood, eugeneyoungblood60@gmail.com
Look2Justice, Director of Community Organizing
Anthony Blankenship, anthony.blankenship@civilsurvival.org
Civil Survival, Senior Community Organizer
Kelly Olson, Kelly.olson@civilsurvival.org
Civil Survival, Policy Manager
Orlando Ames, orlando@communitypassageways.org
Collective Justice, Community HEAL Facilitator
Alex Mayo, alex@wavoices.org
WA Voices, Executive Director
Brandon Pedro, brandon@freedomprojectwa.org
Freedom Project, Critical Incident Director
James Chambers, jimchambers0423@gmail.com
Weld Seattle, Recruitment & Retention Manager
Izzy Eads, izzy.cascadia@gmail.com
JDA Coalition, Board Member
Marcus Altheimer, bridgethegap331@gmail.com
Riverside Payments, National Sales manager
Author

Kathryn Leathers
Barbara Serrano
Ross Hunter
Felice Upton
Partnership Council for Juvenile Justice
DCYF Oversight Board
Sentencing Guidelines Commission
Clemency and Pardons Board

1225 South Weller St, Suite 420, Seattle, WA 98144 I (206) 322-2444 I teamchild.org

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