GOP lawmaker calls for prison reform after death of Monroe inmate

A Washington state senator says he wants improve medical care in jails, following the death of a prison inmate.

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Republican Sen. Keith Wagoner represents Monroe, where he says inmate Kenneth Williams died after not receiving proper treatment for cancer.

Williams had received a cancer diagnosis after a nurse found a lump on his chest. An oncologist prescribed “aggressive chemotherapy” for treatment he never received before Williams passed away in June.

Sen. Wagoner notes that this is just the latest case in a series of medical blunders at state correctional facilities.

“We need to do more for the health and safety of our prison inmates and staff,” he said in a news release.

In an effort to avoid a repeat of a similar incident in the future, Wagoner is proposing a bill setting minimum qualifications for a prison medical director, criteria for transferring inmates in need to health care facilities, and standardized policies and procedures for offsite medical treatment.

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“We have a moral and legal obligation to keep (inmates) healthy and sound,” he told KIRO Radio.

The bill has been pre-filed in the state Legislature and will be introduced at the start of the 2020 session for lawmakers. Wagoner has also promised to work on “several additional bills” to address reform within Washington’s Department of Corrections.