‘That person probably could have died’: King County Jail inmates are turning tablets into weapons, corrections guild warns

Some King County jail inmates are turning the tablets issued to them into weapons, the King County Corrections Guild told KIRO Newsradio. One officer has already been injured.

Inmates are given tablets so they can access legal materials, make phone calls, read books, or watch movies. But Dennis Folk, president of the King County Corrections Guild, said some inmates are breaking them on purpose.

“They’re taking materials from inside the tablet, either the glass screens or there’s metal strips inside of it, and they’re making weapons out of them,” Folk said. “They’re also taking the batteries out, and they’re using that as a way to arc, to light anything from drugs or fentanyl or tobacco in the facility.”

Some inmates are also making tattoo guns out of materials in the tablets, according to Folk.

King County Jail officer stabbed during inmate transfer

On July 10, an inmate being transferred to Western State Hospital tried to stab officers with a weapon he had made out of pieces of a tablet.

“One of our members received an injury to his leg, and it was a relatively minor injury,” Folk said. “But I think the only reason he didn’t get hurt is because he was wearing all this safety gear, helmet, and riot shield, and things like that. If that had been used on somebody who didn’t have that equipment, that person probably could have died.”

The next day, another inmate-made weapon was found during a cell search at the Seattle facility, the guild said in a news release Thursday.

Corrections guild calls for tablet policy changes

The guild wants tablets taken away from inmates in restrictive housing and mental health wards and said anyone who breaks one should not get a replacement for the rest of their booking.

Folk believes there is some value to inmates being issued tablets, so long as they are used for their intended purpose. He said there are approximately 1,500 tablets in circulation in the King County Jail system. King County started issuing the tablets in 2024.

“The plethora of e-books, podcasts, music, games, and more, promises meaningful outlets for residents, and a powerful behavior-management tool for staff,” said Director Allen Nance from King County’s Department of Adult & Juvenile Detention in a 2024 news release. “This program is evidence of how we are fulfilling our promise to improve the lives of people in our custody and empower them with new skills, knowledge, and competencies to make better choices when they return to the community. When they return to community with knowledge and competence to make better choices, that is a down payment on our collective investment in public safety.”

“Most jail residents will receive a tablet after being assigned to a housing unit,” the release said. “They will have access to the tablet unless it is removed for disciplinary reasons.”

The Washington Department of Corrections provides tablets for its inmates as well.

“I’m assigned to the courts, so I hear from a lot of the people that are going to court that [say] ‘Hey, I was able to complete an anger management class, or a DV class, with my tablet,’ which I think that’s what the intended purpose is,” Folk said.

Union threatens legal action over King County Jail safety

Folk said members have raised their concerns with jail management and are calling on them to intervene and make changes to the policies surrounding these tablets.

Folk said if nothing is done, he plans to start calling county council members to express his concerns.

“From a union perspective, one of our primary obligations is staff safety,” Folk said. “If our members aren’t safe in the workplace, then I’m going to talk to my attorneys, and then we may have to take some sort of legal action if we have to.”

The King County Department of Adult & Juvenile Detention released a statement following the reported injury.

“The safety of our corrections officers, employees, and the people in our custody is our highest priority. Any assault on staff or recovery of a weapon inside our facilities is taken seriously,” the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention told KIRO Newsradio. “Correctional facilities across the country have long faced attempts by individuals in custody to fashion weapons from available materials. While the materials may change over time, our commitment to maintaining a safe and secure environment does not.”

The department additionally stated that it regularly restricts tablet privileges for residents who violate its policy.

Frank Lenzi is the News Director for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here.

Follow @FrankLenziKIRO