(1) All cities and counties are authorized to establish and maintain farms, camps, and work release programs and facilities, as well as special detention facilities. The facilities shall meet the requirements of chapter 70.48 RCW and any rules adopted thereunder.

Attorney's Note

Under the Washington Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
class A felonyup to lifeup to $50,000
For details, see Wash. Rev. Code § 9A.20.021

Terms Used In Washington Code 70.48.210

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Detention facility: means a facility operated by a governing unit primarily designed, staffed, and used for the temporary housing of adult persons charged with a criminal offense prior to trial or sentencing and for the housing of adult persons for purposes of punishment and correction after sentencing or persons serving terms not to exceed ninety days. See Washington Code 70.48.020
  • Governing unit: means the city and/or county or any combinations of cities and/or counties responsible for the operation, supervision, and maintenance of a jail. See Washington Code 70.48.020
  • Jail: means any holding, detention, special detention, or correctional facility as defined in this section. See Washington Code 70.48.020
  • Labor: means the period of time before a birth during which contractions are of sufficient frequency, intensity, and duration to bring about effacement and progressive dilation of the cervix. See Washington Code 70.48.020
  • person: may be construed to include the United States, this state, or any state or territory, or any public or private corporation or limited liability company, as well as an individual. See Washington Code 1.16.080
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
  • Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
  • Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
  • Special detention facility: means a minimum security facility operated by a governing unit primarily designed, staffed, and used for the housing of special populations of sentenced persons who do not require the level of security normally provided in detention and correctional facilities including, but not necessarily limited to, persons convicted of offenses under RCW 46. See Washington Code 70.48.020
(2) Farms and camps may be established either inside or outside the territorial limits of a city or county. A sentence of confinement in a city or county jail may include placement in a farm or camp. Unless directed otherwise by court order, the chief law enforcement officer or department of corrections, may transfer the prisoner to a farm or camp. The sentencing court, chief law enforcement officer, or department of corrections may not transfer to a farm or camp a greater number of prisoners than can be furnished with constructive employment and can be reasonably accommodated.
(3) The city or county may establish a city or county work release program and housing facilities for the prisoners in the program. In such regard, factors such as employment conditions and the condition of jail facilities should be considered. When a work release program is established the following provisions apply:
(a) A person convicted of a felony and placed in a city or county jail is eligible for the work release program. A person sentenced to a city or county jail is eligible for the work release program. The program may be used as a condition of probation for a criminal offense. Good conduct is a condition of participation in the program.
(b) The court may permit a person who is currently, regularly employed to continue his or her employment. The chief law enforcement officer or department of corrections shall make all necessary arrangements if possible. The court may authorize the person to seek suitable employment and may authorize the chief law enforcement officer or department of corrections to make reasonable efforts to find suitable employment for the person. A person participating in the work release program may not work in an establishment where there is a labor dispute.
(c) The work release prisoner shall be confined in a work release facility or jail unless authorized to be absent from the facility for program-related purposes, unless the court directs otherwise.
(d) Each work release prisoner’s earnings may be collected by the chief law enforcement officer or a designee. The chief law enforcement officer or a designee may deduct from the earnings moneys for the payments for the prisoner’s board, personal expenses inside and outside the jail, a share of the administrative expenses of this section, court-ordered victim compensation, and court-ordered restitution. Support payments for the prisoner’s dependents, if any, shall be made as directed by the court. With the prisoner’s consent, the remaining funds may be used to pay the prisoner’s preexisting debts. Any remaining balance shall be returned to the prisoner.
(e) The prisoner’s sentence may be reduced by earned early release time in accordance with procedures that shall be developed and promulgated by the work release facility. The earned early release time shall be for good behavior and good performance as determined by the facility. The facility shall not credit the offender with earned early release credits in advance of the offender actually earning the credits. In the case of an offender convicted of a serious violent offense or a sex offense that is a class A felony committed on or after July 1, 1990, the aggregate earned early release time may not exceed fifteen percent of the sentence. In no other case may the aggregate earned early release time exceed one-third of the total sentence.
(f) If the work release prisoner violates the conditions of custody or employment, the prisoner shall be returned to the sentencing court. The sentencing court may require the prisoner to spend the remainder of the sentence in actual confinement and may cancel any earned reduction of the sentence.
(4) A special detention facility may be operated by a noncorrectional agency or by noncorrectional personnel by contract with the governing unit. The employees shall meet the standards of training and education established by the criminal justice training commission as authorized by RCW 43.101.080. The special detention facility may use combinations of features including, but not limited to, low-security or honor prisoner status, work farm, work release, community review, prisoner facility maintenance and food preparation, training programs, or alcohol or drug rehabilitation programs. Special detention facilities may establish a reasonable fee schedule to cover the cost of facility housing and programs. The schedule shall be on a sliding basis that reflects the person’s ability to pay.

NOTES:

Application1989 c 248: See note following RCW 9.92.151.
Legislative finding, intentEffective datesSeverability1983 c 165: See notes following RCW 46.20.308.