Bill aims to reinstate statewide jail oversight amid growing abuse concerns

Michele Deitch, a correctional oversight expert who runs the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab at the University of Texas, said Washington needs an oversight body that helps jails improve while setting realistic standards for those with fewer resources to prevent constitutional violations. 

“The cost of oversight is a fraction – a fraction of what we could be spending on expensive lawsuits from loss of life or for other problems, and we are spending so much to operate these jails,” Deitch said. “It’s a drop in the bucket to make sure they’re actually doing what we think they’re supposed to be doing.”