Washington
Guides and facility information for the Washington State Department of Corrections (WA DOC), which runs 10 prisons, still delivers physical mail to the facility, offers free monthly video sessions and extended family visits, and is overseen by an independent Corrections Ombuds.
Washington’s prisons are run by the Washington State Department of Corrections (WA DOC), which operates 10 adult prisons and refers to people in its custody by name and DOC number. Where a newly sentenced person starts depends on sex: men are received at the Washington Corrections Center (WCC) in Shelton, and women at the Reception & Diagnostic Center inside the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) in Gig Harbor. As of October 2025, WCCW is the state’s only women’s prison — the Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women near Belfair closed that month, and all incarcerated women, including intake, are now at WCCW. The minimum-security Larch Corrections Center near Yacolt closed in 2023.
Washington has no death penalty. The State Supreme Court struck it down in 2018 (State v. Gregory), converting the existing death sentences to life without parole, and the Legislature repealed it by statute in 2023. There is no death row and no execution chamber.
A few features set Washington apart. Incoming personal mail still goes directly to the prison — Washington is one of the minority of states that has not moved to an off-site mail-scanning vendor, so letters and cards reach the person on paper (books and magazines, though, must come from a publisher or approved vendor). Phones, tablets, messaging, and money all run through a single Securus contract (the tablets carry the JPay brand), which includes some free weekly phone calls and four free 30-minute video sessions each month. Washington is also one of the few states that still offers Extended Family Visits — private family visits for eligible people. Health care is provided in-house by DOC Health Services (a $3 medical co-pay applies, waived for emergencies and serious needs), and an independent Office of the Corrections Ombuds takes complaints from incarcerated people and their families.
Getting on a visiting list takes one electronic application (DOC Form 20-060) and up to 45 business days; there is no public online booking for in-person visits, so once approved, families coordinate days directly with the facility’s visit staff. To find someone, use the WA DOC incarcerated search by name or DOC number.
Use the guides below for statewide rules, or go straight to a specific facility.
State guides
Visiting in Washington (WA DOC)
How to get on a WA DOC Approved Visitor List, why there is no online booking for in-person visits, the dress code, extended family visits, and Washington's free monthly video visits.
Mail & Packages in Washington (WA DOC)
How to address mail to a WA DOC prison (physical mail still goes to the facility), the publisher-only rule for books, legal mail, and how packages work.
Phone & Video Calls in Washington (WA DOC)
Washington's Securus phone, JPay tablet, messaging, and video-visit options — including the free weekly calls and four free monthly video sessions under the ITS contract.
Sending Money in Washington (WA DOC)
How to deposit money to a WA DOC trust account through JPay and Securus — online, by phone, by mail, or at a kiosk — and the fees involved.
Medical & Mental Health in Washington (WA DOC)
How health care works in WA DOC prisons — in-house DOC Health Services, the $3 medical co-pay, mental-health care, grievances, and the independent Corrections Ombuds.
Transfers & Finding Someone in Washington (WA DOC)
How to find someone in WA DOC custody with the incarcerated search, how reception and classification work, and what happens to your visiting approval during a transfer.
Facilities
Women's facilities
Men's facilities
Airway Heights Corrections Center
Airway Heights · Minimum and medium security (men)
Cedar Creek Corrections Center
Littlerock · Minimum security (men)
Clallam Bay Corrections Center
Clallam Bay · Medium to maximum security (men)
Coyote Ridge Corrections Center
Connell · Minimum and medium security (men)
Monroe Correctional Complex
Monroe · Minimum to maximum security (men)
Olympic Corrections Center
Forks · Minimum security (men)
Stafford Creek Corrections Center
Aberdeen · Minimum to medium security (men)
Washington Corrections Center
Shelton · Medium to maximum security; men's reception center
Washington State Penitentiary
Walla Walla · Minimum to maximum security (men)