Rep. Reichert's Statement on State's Early Release of Prisoners

Statement

Today, Congressman Dave Reichert (R-WA) made the following statement in response to Gov. Jay Inslee's announcement that the Washington State Department of Corrections has mistakenly released thousands of prisoners early over the past thirteen years:

Yesterday's news of yet another mishap by the Department of Corrections is as disturbing as it is infuriating. Over the past several months I have heard from folks throughout Washington state who are deeply concerned and baffled by the decisions coming out of Olympia.

Over the summer I was notified by victims of one of the most heinous crimes in Washington's history that the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board was considering the early release of Timothy Pauley, a man serving three life sentences for a triple homicide in 1980. As one of the detectives who carried the bodies of his victims out of the building where he and his accomplice tortured and killed three people and left two more for dead, I can attest to it being one of the worst crime scenes we've ever processed. Unfortunately, it appears the ISRB believes 35 years in prison will suffice for the three life sentences he was given.

Numerous people including victims, lawyers, and King County Prosecuting Attorney, Dan Satterberg have called into question the method used to calculate Pauley's minimum sentence. We now know it is not only Pauley's sentence but thousands of others that have been miscalculated by the DOC. Ultimately those questions were ignored, and the ISRB is moving forward with a hearing on Pauley's release on January 5th, less than two weeks from today. What's worse, Pauley's victims and their families were given little-to-no notice of previous hearings or decisions, and the Governor has refused to meet with them.

We also learned this summer that the DOC, again without notifying the victims' families, moved the Green River Killer, Gary Ridgway from isolation in the Walla Walla State Penitentiary to a prison in Colorado where he would be able to mingle with the general population. Only after public outcry was the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history returned to solitary confinement in Washington. In total, the move cost taxpayers $40,000.

Now we have been told that the DOC has been miscalculating sentences for 13 years. Even more upsetting is that they have known about the error since 2012 and, until yesterday, have not bothered to address it or inform victims, law enforcement or the public. This is unacceptable. Our communities and the first responders dedicated to protecting them deserve better. We need to know who these 3,200 criminals are; what crimes they were convicted of and ultimately granted early release for; and exactly how the state is going to ensure this mass injustice is resolved.

Yesterday's announcement and the recent actions of the DOC are not isolated incidents; they are part of a much larger problem. In the eyes of the state, victims of crimes and their families are taking a back seat to the criminals who have caused them so much pain. The DOC, through its incompetence and the decisions by its ISRB, has shown it is more interested in reducing the sentences lawfully handed down by judges than ensuring justice is served.

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