WACDL

Washington Association of
Criminal Defense Lawyers

Lenell Nussbaum
President
Teresa Mathis
Executive Director

October 16, 1996

Mr. Chase Riveland, Secretary
Department of Corrections
P. 0 . Box 41101
Olympia, WA 98504-1101
RE:

Personal Computer Usage by Department of Corrections' Prisoners

Dear Secretary Riveland:
We have followed with interest and concern the fact that the WSR computer pilot project has ended
in the conclusion that all personally-owned computers are to be removed from the respective
prisoner's use.
Based on the information we have about this much-publicized decision, there does not seem to be
a good basis for it. The computers are purchased personally by the individual prisoner; there have
been no tort claims resulting from the personal computers being in the prisons; there have been no
breaches of security resulting from the computers being in the prison; and there are alternative,
available methods to monitor the use of the computers, which do not require additional staffing.
The other concern we have, which is perhaps the most important concern for the citizens of the State
of Washington, is that with the severely limited resources available to the Department of Corrections
for prisoners to access to assure their return to society at a lesser risk than when they were first
incarcerated, it seems that the use of computers v.10uld be one of the most valuable tools for the
Department of Corrections. In particular, since the educational opportunities for prisoners beyond
a GED is now not guaranteed to the general population, computers could be used by prisoners not
only to learn computer skills but also as an educational tool for their self-taught education.
While we acknowledge that the current sentencing system does not imprison to "rehabilitate," we
agree with your statement that the Department of Corrections' goal is still to provide opportunities
for prisoners to "reform" so that when they are returned to society, as the majority of prisoners will
be, they will pose no risk to the community. Therefore, it is not logical to remove computers, which
are a tool of education and reform and have proven to be of no liability to the Department of
Corrections.

421 Centrnl Building
810 Third Avenue
Searrlc, WA 98104
(206) 623-1302
Fax (206) 623-4257

•
Mr. Chase Riveland, Secretary
October 16, 1996
Page 2

Please reconsider the removal of the computers at WSR and consider an extension of this very
successful computer program to prisoners in other institutions within the DOC. Thank you.
Sincerely,

~1L~w

~~~H~TTAUER, Co-Chair
Corrections Committee

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JOHN MIDGLEY, Co-Chair
Corrections Committee

LJS:jam
cc :

Paul Wright
Senator Jeanne Kohl
Representative Mary Lou Dickerson
Representative Frank Chopp
Governor Mike Lowry
Senator Jim Hargrove