WA prison visits resume on Mother’s Day
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, May 5th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
OLYMPIA – In-person visitation with prisoners in Washington state will resume Sunday, more than a year after the visits were suspended due to the pandemic. The Department of Corrections recently finalized the planning for safe visiting after months of planning.
Approved visitors can schedule the visits by filling out an appointment request form which is available online. Visits will occur once a month and will last one hour. DOC states that will ensure equitable time for as many individuals as possible to have time to visit while ensuring COVID-19 safety and sanitation protocols are followed. The no-contact visits will allow inmates and their visitors to spend time together.
“The pandemic has been hard on many people, including family members of our incarcerated individuals who have not been able to visit in person for over a year,” Deputy Secretary Julie Martin said.
All visitors must pass an in-person screening and temperature check at the facility prior to the visit. Visitation stations will be sanitized between each session. Facilities under outbreak status will not be open for visitation. The visitation request form is at https://wacorrections.formstack.com/forms/20_060.
