Report: Washington inmates need better quality food and health care

A new report by the Washington Department of Corrections Ombuds found the state’s inmates should be receiving better quality health care and food.

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More than 2,000 complaints were filed with the office since it first opened last year. The office was established to provide independent oversight of the state’s prison system.

The report, released Friday, shows most of the complaints were related to concerns over health care. The Seattle Times reported the complaints came as the Monroe Correctional Complex deals with seven deaths at the facility. The prison’s top doctor was fired earlier this year in response.

Inmates at other jails also have gone on meal strikes to protest the quality of food.

DOC officials said they were reviewing the report, which also recommends the department focus more on helping inmates re-enter society.

“To truly see change, the Governor’s office and the Washington Legislature need to give DOC a new vision in line with today’s focus on rehabilitation and reentry,” said Ombuds Director Joanna Carns.

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The Corrections Department has asked the Legislature for more funding to improve its healthcare and food options.

In a statement sent to the Times, a spokesperson for Gov. Inslee said he’s “pleased to see that DOC and the Ombuds have worked together to identify and address many issues and make improvements to benefit incarcerated individuals and their families.”

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