Medical & Mental Health in Washington (WA DOC)

Health care in Washington prisons

Unlike many states that hire a private prison-health company, Washington delivers care in-house through DOC Health Services, which provides medical, mental-health, dental, and pharmacy services with its own staff. There is no private statewide medical contractor.

The standard charge for a medical visit is a $3.00 co-pay — the co-pay is never less than $3. It is waived for emergencies, for visits initiated by staff, for chronic-care appointments, and for serious health needs. For the current sick-call request process and any additional exemptions, confirm with the facility.

Mental health and substance use

DOC Health Services provides mental-health care in-house. For men, the Sky River Treatment Center at the Monroe Correctional Complex is the residential mental-health facility. For women, acute mental-health care is provided at the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor. Other facilities provide on-site mental-health services; confirm the level of care available at a specific facility with that facility.

Raising a concern

Washington has two routes for health-care concerns — the prison system’s internal grievance process and an independent state office outside WA DOC.

• The Offender Grievance Program is WA DOC’s internal process for an incarcerated person to file a complaint, including complaints about medical and mental-health care.
• The Office of the Corrections Ombuds (OCO) is an independent state office that takes complaints about WA DOC from incarcerated people and from families. It operates outside the department. More information and the complaint process are at oco.wa.gov.

A complaint about an immediate medical emergency should also go straight to the facility, but the Office of the Corrections Ombuds gives families a route that does not depend on the prison itself.

Verify Before Acting

For the general, nationwide overview of this topic, see the national guide: Know Your Rights.