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Department of Corrections

  Annual FTEs General Fund State Other Funds Total Funds
  (Dollars in Thousands)
Estimated Expenditures 8,513.1 2,005,579 102,559 2,108,138
2019-21 Maintenance Level 8,752.7 2,158,855 103,499 2,262,354
Difference from 2017-19 239.6 153,276 940 154,216
% Change from 2017-19 2.8% 7.6% 0.92% 7.3%

2019-21 Policy Other Changes

Swift and Certain 0.0 (8,216) 0 (8,216)
Relocation Costs 0.0 2,751 0 2,751
Capital Project Operating Costs 108.0 18,588 0 18,588
Direct Patient Care: DVC Adjustment 0.0 5,870 0 5,870
Custody Staff: Health Care Delivery 106.7 16,933 0 16,933
Community: Violator Transport 25.3 4,818 0 4,818
Custody Relief Factor 34.4 12,497 0 12,497
Critical Safety: Nursing Relief 19.5 5,414 0 5,414
Vendor Rate 0.0 4,222 0 4,222
Auto Theft Prevention Acct Align 0.0 259 (259) 0
Yakima Jail Women's TC 2.5 2,066 0 2,066
Work Release Expansion 60.8 15,245 0 15,245
Food & Staff Safety Improvements 0.0 2,776 0 2,776
Violator Bed Rate Increase 0.0 7,869 0 7,869
IT Architecture & Portfolio Mgmt 4.6 1,206 0 1,206
Opioid Package: SUD Assessment 2.0 406 0 406
Opioid Package: Contraband Mgmt 0.0 460 0 460
Opioid Package: Discharge Planners 4.8 1,412 0 1,412
Concurrent Supervision (57.4) (9,610) 0 (9,610)
Earned Time to 50% - Nonviolent (24.3) (8,634) 0 (8,634)
Earned Time to 50% - Drug Offenses (12.3) (4,355) 0 (4,355)
SCAAP Grant Backfill 0.0 1,974 0 1,974
2019-21 Policy Other Changes Total 274.6 73,951 (259) 73,692

2019-21 Policy Comp Changes

Inversion & Compression 0.0 4,584 0 4,584
State Public Employee Benefits Rate 0.0 236 0 236
WFSE General Government 0.0 13,370 0 13,370
State Rep Employee Benefits Rate 0.0 1,077 0 1,077
Teamsters 117 DOC 0.0 68,161 0 68,161
Coalition of Unions 0.0 85 0 85
Non-Rep General Wage Increase 0.0 12,460 0 12,460
Non-Rep Premium Pay 0.0 314 0 314
Non-Rep Targeted Pay Increases 0.0 595 0 595
Orca Transit Pass - Outside CBAs 0.0 738 0 738
PERS & TRS Plan 1 Benefit Increase 0.0 1,506 0 1,506
Non-Rep Salary Schedule Revision 0.0 1,190 0 1,190
State Tax - Wellness Gift Card 0.0 10 0 10
2019-21 Policy Comp Changes Total 0.0 104,326 0 104,326

2019-21 Policy Transfers Changes

Orca Transit Pass Funding Transfer 0.0 (1,126) 0 (1,126)
Health Coalition FSA Fund Transfer 0.0 (582) 0 (582)
2019-21 Policy Transfers Changes Total 0.0 (1,708) 0 (1,708)

2019-21 Policy Central Services Changes

Electric Vehicle Infrastructure 0.0 141 0 141
Archives/Records Management 0.0 25 0 25
Audit Services 0.0 18 0 18
Legal Services 0.0 1,176 0 1,176
CTS Central Services 0.0 (3,803) 0 (3,803)
DES Central Services 0.0 314 0 314
OFM Central Services 0.0 6,862 0 6,862
2019-21 Policy Central Services Changes Total 0.0 4,733 0 4,733
Total Policy Changes 274.6 181,302 (259) 181,043
2019-21 Policy Level 9,027.3 2,340,157 103,240 2,443,397
Difference from 2017-19 514.2 334,578 681 335,259
% Change from 2017-19 6.0% 16.7% 0.66% 15.9%

Policy Changes

Swift and Certain

The community violator population is reduced through a sentencing change that: would allow non-confinement sanctions for low-level violations; removes the requirement that after an individual commits five violations under community custody, each subsequent violation must be addressed through a Department of Corrections (DOC) hearing, and is subject to a sanction of up to 30 days in jail; and removes requirements outlining special rules for addressing violations that constitute new crimes by individuals on supervision for one of 21 underlying offenders. These changes would be applied both retrospectively (for individuals currently on supervision) and prospectively (for new admissions to supervision).

Relocation Costs

One-time funding is provided for six facility relocations. These facilities are necessary to ensure adequate programming spaces and a presence in the areas with anticipated caseload growth.

Capital Project Operating Costs

Funding is provided for the operating costs related to several capital projects that were funded in the 2017-19 capital budget and are anticipated to be completed before or during the 2019-21 biennium. These are critical capacity projects needed to reduce overcrowding in prisons and include the addition of programming space at the Washington State Penitentiary (#30001101), a 128-bed minimum security prison at Maple Lane (#30001168) and the Ahtanum View work release 41-bed expansion (#30001166).

Direct Patient Care: DVC Adjustment

In fiscal year 2016, the Department of Corrections (DOC) implemented a process for funding direct patient health care for incarcerated individuals utilizing a direct variable cost (DVC) rate. The DVC rate is calculated using prior fiscal year expenditures divided by the average daily population (ADP) and the number of calendar days in the fiscal year. DOC's annual caseload funding request then became the funding mechanism for direct patient health care services. While the DVC rate model provides new funding based on ADP changes, it does not provide funding for the rest of the DOC prison population as costs change. As a result, over the past three fiscal years, a growing variance between the funded level of direct patient care and expenses has arisen. The model has been revised to account for this flaw and funding is provided to adjust DOC's base budget for health services up to actual expenditure levels.

Custody Staff: Health Care Delivery

The department has been impacted by an aging population, hospital closures, and an increased need for on-site mental health observation and supervision. Funding is provided for critical security positions in prison facilities that are driven by the medical and mental health needs of incarcerated individuals. These positions are not sufficiently included in the current staffing model.

Community: Violator Transport

Dedicated resources are provided for transport services to address the increase in community violator admissions. This allows community corrections officers (CCO) to focus on case management and supervised individual engagement instead of conducting time intensive transports.

Custody Relief Factor

In fiscal year 2018, the Department of Corrections (DOC) had over-expenditures for custody overtime salaries and benefits totaling $9.3 million. This resulted in the deferral of critical maintenance projects, hiring delays for non-custody positions, and reductions in discretionary services to avoid overspending the total agency appropriation. Funding is provided to revise the authorized leave and training relief factors in the custody staffing model approved by the Legislature 30 years ago. Additional resources will aid DOC in reducing the use of mandatory overtime while still meeting current requirements like family medical leave and arbitration rulings on training and authorized leave.

Critical Safety: Nursing Relief

The Department of Corrections is not fully funded for current relief and holiday overtime for its registered nurse (RN), licensed practical nurse (LPN) and nursing assistant job classifications. Funding is provided for on-call and overtime staff to cover required nursing posts and to provide constitutionally mandated health care to incarcerated individuals without diverting funding from other areas.

Vendor Rate

Funding is provided to pay for targeted vendor rate increases for contracted services including, but not limited to, chemical dependency treatment providers, health care professionals and psychological evaluators.

Auto Theft Prevention Acct Align

Funding is provided to replace Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority Account (11K) funds with General Fund-State funds due to a projected shortfall in revenue. The Department of Corrections uses the 11K funds for security staffing which is critical to maintain.

Yakima Jail Women's TC

Due to capacity levels for the incarcerated female population, the Department of Corrections (DOC) contracted for 60 beds with the Yakima County Jail. Women previously housed in the old jail were moved to the new space in mid-November 2018. The move affords an improved housing environment, separation from the jail population, increased staff interaction and access to an indoor recreation area that has direct sunlight and fresh air. Funding is provided to cover the increased contract costs and to establish a substance abuse recovery therapeutic community (TC) and on-site case management.

Work Release Expansion

In order to address immediate capacity changes at the Department of Corrections, funding is provided for a 250-bed work release expansion. Work release is part of a cost-effective enterprise strategy to increase bed capacity and reentry focus. In a cost-benefit analysis from December 2017, the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) found work release to generate a positive net return on investment of $4,759 per participant and a 99 percent chance the program will produce benefits greater than the costs.

Food & Staff Safety Improvements

The Department of Corrections (DOC) provides incarcerated individuals with meals developed by a dietician and based on the dietary standards established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academies Institute of Medicine. Funding is provided to reinstate traditional hot breakfast at the five facilities under Correctional Industries (CI) management and to provide food options with a heightened focus on macro and micro nutrients and meal patterns that deliver more vegetables, whole grain, fiber and protein while reducing daily caloric intake, fats, sodium and sugar.

Violator Bed Rate Increase

When individuals in the community violate their terms of supervision, they are arrested and housed in local jails. The Department of Corrections (DOC) pays a bed rate, set by statute, which cannot exceed $85 per day per offender or a 3 percent annual rate increase. As of fiscal year 2017, the average reported cost for a county jail bed was $106 per day. Funding is provided for increased jail bed rates to reflect the actual costs incurred to house violators and to ensure continuity of contracts with local jails.

IT Architecture & Portfolio Mgmt

Funding is provided for a chief architect and a team of three IT specialists to develop a comprehensive architecture program following best practices and industry standards for applications, data and technology. The team will develop a technical strategy and roadmap, ensure architectural governance and compliance, and develop repeatable processes as recommended by the Gartner Consulting's assessment of the Department of Corrections' IT department in 2016.

Opioid Package: SUD Assessment

This step is part of a multi-agency package to expand treatment and prevention services across the state to prevent opioid-related overdose deaths. Funding is provided to hire two chemical dependency professionals to complete approximately 2,000 more substance use disorder (SUD) assessments at the Department of Corrections' reception centers.

Opioid Package: Contraband Mgmt

This step is part of a multi-agency package to expand treatment and prevention services across the state to prevent opioid-related overdose deaths. One-time funding is provided to purchase four electronic mail screeners, for use in the mail rooms at each of the stand-alone minimum prison facilities, to reduce the introduction of drugs and other contraband.

Opioid Package: Discharge Planners

This step is part of a multi-agency package to expand treatment and prevention services across the state to prevent opioid-related overdose deaths. Funding is provided to hire four registered nurses to help support releasing individuals who have medication needs and will require behavioral health services or substance use disorder treatment upon release.

Concurrent Supervision

The community supervision population is reduced by presuming supervision terms are run concurrently, unless expressly ordered by the court to run consecutively. Current sentences that have confinement terms that are run consecutively must also have the supervision terms run consecutively. This change would be applied both retrospectively to those offenders currently on supervision and prospectively to those releasing into supervision.

Earned Time to 50% - Nonviolent

The prison population is reduced through a prospective sentencing change that would make certain incarcerated individuals serving time for non-violent offenses eligible for 50 percent earned time. Currently, non-violent offenders are allowed to earn up to 33 percent of their sentence. The most common nonviolent offenses include burglary, theft and possession of a stolen vehicle or firearm.

Earned Time to 50% - Drug Offenses

The prison population is reduced through a prospective sentencing change that would make certain incarcerated individuals serving time for drug offenses eligible for 50 percent earned time. Prior to 2010, there were certain offenders who were allowed to earn up to 50 percent of their sentence as earned time. Based on a report produced by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP), offenders who were awarded the increased earned time percentage had a 3.5 percent lower felony recidivism rate after three years than offenders who stayed in prison longer.

SCAAP Grant Backfill

DOC received federal funds through the State Crime Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) to assist in paying for the cost of incarceration for undocumented immigrants who have committed serious crimes in the state of Washington. This past year the Federal Bureau of Justice Assistance instituted several changes to the administration of these funds that resulted in the complete elimination of federal SCAAP funding distributed to the state of Washington. Funding is provided to replace the loss of federal SCAAP funds with General Fund-State dollars.

Inversion & Compression

Funding is provided to reduce inversion and compression between non-represented management positions and subordinate staff. These salary inequities are the direct result of the 2017-19 and 2019-21 interest arbitration and collection bargaining agreements.

State Public Employee Benefits Rate

Health insurance funding is provided for state employees who are not represented by a union, who are covered by a bargaining agreement that is not subject to financial feasibility determination, or who are not part of the coalition of unions for health benefits. The insurance funding rate is $977 per employee per month for fiscal year 2020 and $978 per employee per month for fiscal year 2021.

WFSE General Government

Funding is provided for a collective bargaining agreement with the Washington Federation of State Employees - General Government. The agreement includes a general wage increase of 3 percent, effective July 1, 2019; a general wage increase of 3 percent, effective July 1, 2020; premium, shift, and other special pay changes, and increases in targeted job classifications. Employee insurance included in the agreement is displayed in a separate item.

State Rep Employee Benefits Rate

This provides health insurance funding as part of the master agreements for employees who bargain for health benefits as part of a coalition of unions. The insurance funding rate is $977 per employee per month for fiscal year 2020 and $978 per employee per month for fiscal year 2021.

Teamsters 117 DOC

Funding is provided for a collective bargaining agreement and arbitration award with Teamsters Local Union 117. For employees in the Department of Enterprise Services, this includes a general wage increase of 3 percent, effective July 1, 2019; a general wage increase of 3 percent, effective July 1, 2020; and increases in targeted job classifications. For Department of Corrections employees, it includes general wage increases of 4 percent and 4 percent, along with targeted increases and changes in shift premium and standby pay. Employee insurance included in the agreement is displayed in a separate item.

Coalition of Unions

Funding is provided for a collective bargaining agreement with the Coalition of Unions. The agreement includes a general wage increase of 3 percent, effective July 1, 2019; a general wage increase of 3 percent, effective July 1, 2020; increases in premium pay and increases in targeted job classifications. Employee insurance included in the agreement is displayed in a separate item.

Non-Rep General Wage Increase

Funding is provided for wage increases for state employees who are not represented by a union or who are covered by a bargaining agreement that is not subject to financial feasibility determination. It is sufficient for a general wage increase of 3 percent, effective July 1, 2019, and a general wage increase of 3 percent, effective July 1, 2020. This item includes both general government and higher education workers.

Non-Rep Premium Pay

Funding is provided for increases in premium pay for state employees who are not represented by a union or who are covered by a bargaining agreement that is not subject to financial feasibility determination. Funding is sufficient to support changes in shift differential, call back and standby pay, as well as a 5 percent increase for employees working in King County.

Non-Rep Targeted Pay Increases

Funding is provided for classified state employees who are not represented by a union for pay increases in specific job classes in alignment with other employees.

Orca Transit Pass - Outside CBAs

This funds transit passes (ORCA cards) for state employees (outside of higher education) in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, other than those in certain collective bargaining agreements.

PERS & TRS Plan 1 Benefit Increase

For eligible Public Employees' and Teachers' Retirement Systems Plan 1 members, this item provides a one-time, ongoing increase of 3 percent, up to a maximum of $62.50 per month.

Non-Rep Salary Schedule Revision

This funds a revised salary schedule for non-represented employees in information technology jobs, in alignment with other state employees.

State Tax - Wellness Gift Card

Some employees are eligible to earn a $25 gift card after completing a health risk assessment. This item provides funding to agencies to pay the employer's share of Social Security and Medicare taxes on gift cards for additional employees who are eligible for the gift cards.

Orca Transit Pass Funding Transfer

This moves funding for employee transit passes from agencies to WSDOT, which administers the program. The transfer includes both funding added in 2019-21 for expanded access, as well as funding that was provided in the 2017-19 budget.

Health Coalition FSA Fund Transfer

This moves funding for negotiated medical flexible spending arrangements (FSA) from individual agency budgets. It will be provided to the Health Care Authority, which will administer the benefit.

Electric Vehicle Infrastructure

Agency budgets are adjusted to reflect each agency’s estimated portion of increased fee for service charges from the Department of Enterprise Services to expand electric vehicle infrastructure for the state Motor Pool fleet.

Archives/Records Management

Agency budgets are adjusted to reflect each agency’s allocated share of charges for the state archives and state records center.

Audit Services

Agency budgets are adjusted to reflect each agency’s allocated share of charges for state government audits.

Legal Services

Agency budgets are adjusted to reflect each agency’s anticipated share of legal service charges.

CTS Central Services

Agency budgets are adjusted to reflect each agency’s allocated share of charges from the Consolidated Technology Services Agency (WaTech) for the Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office of Cyber Security, state network, security gateways, and geospatial imaging services.

DES Central Services

Agency budgets are adjusted to reflect each agency’s allocated share of charges from the Department of Enterprise Services (DES) for campus rent, utilities, parking, and contracts; a capital project surcharge; financing cost recovery; public and historic facilities; real estate services; risk management services; personnel service rates; the Perry Street child care center; and the department’s enterprise applications.

OFM Central Services

Agency budgets are adjusted to reflect each agency’s allocated share of charges from the Office of Financial Management (OFM) for the One Washington project and OFM enterprise systems.