Social and Economic Policy The League of Women Voters of Washington recognizes the need for a “criminal justice system that is just, effective, equitable, transparent, and that fosters public trust at all stages, including policing practices, pre-trial procedures, sentencing, incarceration, and re-entry.” Issue Team Chair: Heather Kelly, hkelly@lwvwa.org |
Wrapping up the 2024 Legislative Session This year we prioritized several bills in the areas of police reform, prison conditions, and resentencing. Unfortunately, none of our priority bills passed, which means we’ll just have to work even harder next year! With respect to police reform, HB 1579 would have created an Independent Prosecutions Office for cases involving the use of deadly force by police. It passed the House but died in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. HB 1513 (limiting traffic stops) and HB 1445 (authorizing the Attorney General to investigate systemic civil rights violations by law enforcement agencies) did not make it to a floor vote. The legislature did pass I-2113 (rolling back limitations on vehicle pursuits), which we advocated against. We also supported bills to improve conditions in prison—HB 1087 (ending the use of long-term solitary confinement) and SB 6021 (authorizing free phone calls for people in prison). Neither bill made it out of the fiscal committee in their respective chambers. We also supported HB 2030, giving incarcerated people the right to vote. We did not expect the bill to pass and are pleased that it got a hearing in the Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee. Finally, we prioritized two resentencing bills that recognized the impacts of developments in brain science and racial disparities in sentencing. Like HB 1579, HB 2065 (eliminating juvenile adjudications from adult sentencing calculations) died in the Senate Ways & Means Committee. HB 1325 (allowing review of lengthy sentences for crimes committed before age 25) did not make it out of the House Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry Committee. It wasn’t all bad though! The legislature finally passed HB 1541 (Nothing About Us Without Us), which mandates that state task forces, work groups, and advisory committees include members with lived experience. HB 2099 (ensuring that people in state care and custody have valid IDs before discharge) also passed, as did SB 6009 (prohibiting the use of hog-tying). We’ve learned that it can often take at least a couple of sessions to make progress on criminal justice issues, and we are already planning for 2025! Overview of the 2025 Legislative Session We are facing a significant budget shortfall for this biennium and byond, which means that it will be difficult to pass any new legislation that has a sizeable price tag attached. However, this fact has been taken into account by legislative bill sponsors and in our decision making regarding which bills to prioritize, so we are optimistic that many of the bills on our list can be passed. Our priorities this year include a mix of legislation that did not pass last year, together with some new bills we're excited about! We will continue to advocate for police accountability and reform, together with our partners at the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability. This includes legislation to limit traffic stops and to ensure that law enforcement agencies will be held accountable for any systemic misconduct. We will also seek to improve conditions for people who are currently incarcerated and institutionalized by supporting legislation to (1) ensure that their voices can be heard as part of the democratic process, (2) reduce the use of long-term solitary confinement, (3) make the cost of phone calls from incarcerated people to their friends and loved ones free, and (4) improve educational opportunities in prison. Finally, we will continue our efforts to reform draconian sentencing laws by working with Look2Justice and other community advocates to support bills that will (1) extend the age for review of juvenile sentences so that people who committed crimes under age 21 (instead of age 18) can seek review after serving 15 years, and (2) allow people whose sentences have been lengthened as a result of their juvenile records to seek resentencing.
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2025 Criminal Justice Legislation
Bills in green are supported. Bills in red are opposed by the League. Bills in black the League is watching.
HB 1137 Reducing Use of Long-Term Solitary Confinement. This bill will reduce the number of people who are sent to solitary confinement by (1) increasing the burden of proof needed to prove an infraction, and (2) limiting the types of infractions that will result in solitary confinement.
HB 1147 Act for Civic Engagement.This bill guarantees the right of all people under state care, including those incarcerated in adult and youth prisons and state hospitals, to collectively organize inside and outside of their facilities and to communicate with elected officials, without fear of retaliation.
HB 1166 PEERS Act.The Providing Effective Education for Reentry Success Act (PEERS) allows people who are incarcerated to have access to online and correspondence education.
HB 1196 Free the Vote Act.This bill narrows the definition of “infamous crime” to enable people who are currently incarcerated in prison to vote.
HB 1239 Reentry Readiness. This bill restores 1/3 time off of a sentence for good behavior and expands graduated entry to 18 months for those serving sentences of 15 years or more.
HB 1274 Eliminating Juvenile Offenses from Sentencing Range Calculations. This bill retroactively eliminates the requirement that juvenile adjudications be considered to lengthen adult sentences.
HB 1317 Allowing Review of Long Sentences for Crimes Committed by Young Adults. Currently, people who committed crimes before age 18 can have lengthy sentences reviewed. This bill would increase the age from 18 to 21, as a first step toward recognizing that brain science shows our brains do not become fully developed until age 25.
HB 1512 Improving Traffic Safety. This bill prevents law enforcement officers from pulling people over for violations that don’t impact safety, limits searches following traffic stops, and provides funding to help people fix violations.
SB 5231/HB 1301 Authorizing Free Phone Calls for People in Prison. This bill requires the Department of Corrections to provide free phone calls for incarcerated people, making it easier for them to stay in touch with friends and family and remain connected to the community.
SB 5066/HB 1056 Attorney General Investigations and Reform.This bill gives the Attorney General’s Office the authority to investigate law enforcement and local corrections agencies that have engaged in systemic violations of the Washington constitution or state laws.
Other Bills
Bills in green are supported. Bills in red are opposed by the League. Bills in black the League is watching.
HB 1125/SB 5269 Judicial Discretion Act. This bill gives discretion to judges to reduce certain lengthy sentences upon a showing that the original sentence no longer serves the interests of justice.
HB 1138 Implementing Evidence-Based Interview Practices. This bill provides that statements made during an interrogation will be presumed inadmissible in court if the officer intentionally engaged in deception to obtain that statement.
HB 1146 Improving Access to Voting in Jails and State Hospitals. This bill requires the development and implementation of voting plans for each jail and hospital within a county to ensure that people within those facilities are more easily able to vote.
HB 1180 Reducing Penalties for Failure to Register. This bill adopts a recommendation from the Sex Offender Policy Board that reduces the criminal penalties for failing to register as a sex offender.
HB 1189 Enabling Parents to Volunteer in Schools After a Criminal Conviction. This bill allows parents with criminal convictions to volunteer at their children’s schools if certain rehabilitation-related requirements are met.
HB 1223 Maintaining a $1 Per Hour Minimum Wage for People in Prison.This bill requires that people participating in Class II or Class III Correctional Industries work programs be paid at least $1 per hour.
HB 1229 Resentencing in Robbery 2 Cases. In 2019, the legislature removed 2nd degree robbery from the list of three strikes offenses. This bill allows resentencing for people who agreed to exceptional sentences in order to avoid a third strike where one of the previous strikes was Robbery 2.
SB 5005/HB 1424 Improving Jail Oversight. This bill adopts recommendations for the Joint Legislative Task Force on Jail Standards and provides for independent oversight of Washington’s jail system by a Jail Oversight Board within the Governor’s office.
SB 5266/HB 1111 Youth Hope Act. This bill allows youth sentenced in adult court to request a review of their sentence before they transfer to adult prison from juvenile rehabilitation.
SB 5342 Providing Access for Legislators to State Facilities. This bill requires the Departments of Corrections, Children, Youth, and Families, and Social and Health Services to provide legislators access to their facilities upon 48 hours' notice.