OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington State House has passed a bill that aims to increase transparency in private detention facilities by mandating serious incident reports such as deaths, abuse and major injuries.
If passed by the legislature, HB 2464 would require the facilities to submit the reports to the Department of Health and local police by the next business day. The Office of the Attorney General will have the authority to enforce these rules.
Police reports must include details on whether they spoke with the victim or referred the case for prosecution. Additionally, police will be required to send annual reports to the Department of Health starting November 1.
Supporters of the bill believe it will help track cases such as suicide attempts, sexual assaults and hunger strikes. Rep. Lillian Ortiz, a Democrat from Mulkiteo, emphasized the need for accurate data.
“We don’t really have all that accurate data. We have a lot of anecdotal heartbreaking stories. This will get us close to getting the accurate picture, so we are asking that any time there’s a suicide attempt, a sexual assault et cetera, that hunger strikes that happen in our facilities, they get reported to the Department of Health,” Ortiz said.
However, not everyone agrees with the bill’s intent. Rep. Jim Walsh, (R-Aberdeen), expressed his view on the matter.
“This is a political statement, not a public policy statement,” Walsh said.
If the bill is passed by the Senate, it will take effect 90 days after the legislative session concludes.
