Women prisoners in Washington state
BTP is working hard to get used books into WA prisons. In 2009 the Olympia BTP branch talked with the head of the state Department of Corrections, and persuaded him to allow us to send used books into low security prisons in WA. In 2010 we were allowed to send used books into the minimum-maximum prison SCCC as a test for the whole system.
We are now pushing for the final stage—being allowed to send used books into all WA prisons. The WA DoC regulation changed in July 2011 to allow us to do this…with permission of individual Superintendents.
We’re being ignored by a lot of prisons, and meeting active resistance at others, but have at least one piece of good news. Just heard from the Superintendent of WCCW (the main women’s prison) who confirms we are authorised and will tell the mailroom to stop rejecting used books.
Now to test that!