In-person visitations resume at Washington state prisons starting May 9

Kent city leaders urge vaccinations as thousands of doses still available

At the ShoWare Center in Kent, thousands of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are available and more doses are expected, but some community members are concerned regarding the vaccine. Q13's Hana Kim reports.

OLYMPIA, Wash. - The Department of Corrections will resume in-person visitations at Washington state prisons starting May 9 after more than a year without them.

DOC says visitation has been closed since March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But with vaccinations in state prisons on the rise, officials say it is safe to resume a more structured in-person schedule.

Anyone wanted to visit a loved one in a state Department of Corrections facility first has to fill out an appointment request online here.

Visits wil be allowed once a month, for one hour, to allow time for as many people as possible to have time to visit in-person.

Visits will be scheduled by cohort, an outbreak mitigation strategy where inmates are grouped together based on assigned living unit and programs.

All approved visitors will also have to pass a COVID-19 screening, including temperature checks.

Facilities under outbreak status will not be open for visitation.

"The pandemic has been hard on many people, including family members – spouses, parents, and children – of our incarcerated individuals who have not been able to visit in person for over a year," said Deputy Secretary Julie Martin. "We’re eager to reopen visitation safely to protect visitors, incarcerated individuals and staff, especially on Mother’s Day."

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