SPECIAL EMPLOYMENT SERVICES FOR OFFENDERS PROGRAM
(Correction Camps)

Contact: Jim Sweeney
Department of Natural Resources
P.O. Box 47037
Olympia, WA 98504-7037
Phone: 360.902.1046
E-mail: jim.sweeney@dnr.wa.gov

State Website: http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Participation: The program served approximately 1,400 adults and 180 youth during July 1, 2006-June 30, 2007.

Who is Served: The program targets youth and adults incarcerated in state correctional facilities. Individuals are selected for the program’s special employment services through an interagency agreement between the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Department of Corrections (DOC), and Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).

Program Description: The program provides daily work opportunities for approximately 550 offenders, supporting projects managed by DNR and other agencies. Employment includes fire suppression, reforestation, thinning, forest plantation maintenance, recreation site maintenance, and providing services to other governmental agencies.

Other Program Characteristics: DNR provides training and work opportunities for adult inmates and youth offenders. Both males and females fight fires, plant trees, do pre-commercial thinning of harvestable timber, clean up streams, control brush, and maintain forest roads. During a typical year, inmates plant trees from January through April, undergo fire fighting training in the spring, fight fires and improve timber stands during the summer, and do pre-commercial thinning, illegal dumpsite cleanup and litter collection year round. In addition, specialized crews work in saw mills, carpenter shops, sign shops, metal fabrication shops, sewing and upholstery shops, and vehicle maintenance and repair shops.

Program History: The program was first authorized as an adult honor camp program by the Legislature in 1943 and has continued for over 60 years. DNR, DOC and the DSHS Division of Juvenile Rehabilitation cooperatively operate correctional camps for adult and juvenile offenders in Washington.

Planning Cycle: Every two years.

Outcome Measures:

• Staff and equip 48 10-person hand crews.
• Train all wildland firefighting crew members to National Wildfire Coordinating Group standards.
• Staff four mobile fire kitchens.
• Complete all contracted work for other state, federal, local, and not-for-profit agencies.
• Complete approximately 15,000 acres of silviculture treatment, including planting, thinning, pruning, vegetation management, and site preparation on state lands each year.

(Note: Between July 1, 2005 and June 30, 2007, DNR camp crews successfully completed about 31,000 acres of silvicultural prescriptions. This is a little over 24 square miles each year.)

Funding and Regional Division: There are seven camps statewide.

Adult Camps

Olympic, Jefferson County

Cedar Creek, Thurston County

Larch, Clark County

Airway Heights, Spokane County

Monroe, Snohomish County

Mission Creek Correctional Center for Women, Mason County

Juvenile Camps

Naselle, Pacific County

Funding is secured through DNR’s normal budget development process. DNR develops its budget based on the historical work provided by the camps and projected future workloads for emergency response, state trust land management, and services contracted out to other agencies on a cost reimbursement basis.

State Funding: $4,369,000 (July 1, 2007-June 30, 2008) State General Fund and State Timber Sales receipts.

Federal Funding: None.

Statutory Authority: RCW 72.09, 72.64.090, 76.04. Administered by the Department of Natural Resources.