Washington Corrections Center, a prison in Shelton, Washington. (Grace Deng/Washington State Standard)
Washington prisoners held in solitary confinement are not receiving basic quality-of-life care, such as frequent showers, health care, visitation, regular meals and enough toilet paper, according to a report from a state watchdog.
The state’s independent investigations office for the Department of Corrections also describes “dehumanizing and traumatizing” restraint practices used by the department, including spit hoods, pepper spray, tasers and shock shields.
“Oh, it’s horrible. I’ve watched people get ahold of a safety razor, slice their throats. Within days they’re unraveling, smearing feces, banging on. Some people cannot handle it,” said an incarcerated individual interviewed by investigators.
“And even those who can, there’s no way you can go through eight months of solitary confinement or longer for many people, some people decades, and not be damaged in some way,” he said.