Washington Corrections Center for Women

{{Short description|Women's prison in Gig Harbor, Washington, US}}

{{Infobox prison

| name = Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW)

| image =

| caption =

| pushpin_map = USA Washington

| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Washington

| location = Gig Harbor

| coordinates = {{coord|47|20|50|N|122|36|47|W|type:landmark_region:US-WA|display=inline,title}}

| status = Operational

| classification = Minimum, Medium, Close

| capacity = 738

| population = 588

| populationdate = February 1, 2025

| opened = 1971

| closed =

| former_name =

| managed_by = Washington State Department of Corrections

| director =

| governor =

| warden = Arminda Miller, Superintendent

| street-address = 9601 Bujacich Rd. NW

| city = Gig Harbor address

| county = Pierce County

| state = Washington

| postcode =

| zip = 98332

| country = United States

| website = {{URL|http://www.doc.wa.gov/corrections/incarceration/prisons/wccw.htm}}

| prisoners =

}}

Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW, originally the Purdy Treatment Center for Women) is a Washington State Department of Corrections women's prison located in unincorporated Pierce County, Washington,{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/DC20BLK/st53_wa/place/p5326735_gig_harbor/DC20BLK_P5326735.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Gig Harbor city, WA|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=2024-11-19|quote=Washington Corrections Center for Women}} with a Gig Harbor address.{{Cite web |url=https://www.doc.wa.gov/corrections/incarceration/prisons/wccw.htm |title=Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) |publisher=Washington State Department of Corrections |access-date=2022-08-01}} With an operating capacity of 740, it is the largest women's prison in the state {{cite web|url=http://www.prisonpro.com/content/washington-corrections-center-women|title=Washington Corrections Center for Women Visiting hours, inmate phones, mail|website=www.prisonpro.com}} and is surrounded by Washington State Route 16, and McCormick forest park. It opened {{years or months ago|1971}} in 1971, 82 years after statehood.

Washington Corrections Center is located at 9601 Bujacich Rd NW.

Facilities and programs

Washington Corrections Center for Women facilitates Educational and Offender Change programs, & Work and Vocational programs.

Educational and Offender Change programs include: GED programs, Information Technology programs, and a prison library. However, inmates must have enough time left on their sentence in order to enroll in education. Inmates sentenced to 18 months or less can not access education and are not eligible for most self improvement class.{{cite web|url=https://www.inmateaid.com/prisons/wa-doc-washington-corrections-center-for-women|title=WA DOC - Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) & Inmate Search - Gig Harbor, WA|last=SemiColonWeb|website=www.inmateaid.com}} their intent is to teach incarcerated new skills, and help them to transition into the outside world.
Work and Vocational programs include: CAD programming, Textile Production, and Braille printing.{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonci.com/about-ci/where-we-are/wccw.html|title=Washington Corrections Center for Women - Where We Are - About CI -- Washington State Correctional Industries|website=www.washingtonci.com}} these are how prisoners earn prison salaries ($1.00/hr). This money is used for store purchases (snacks, hygiene, office supplies), recreation, and medication. A doctor visit cost $4/visit. A weight card for the gym is $7/quarter. There are quarterly packages, monthly fundraisers, monthly events, and craft supplies available as well.

Organization

Washington Corrections Center for women is located on a 32-acre campus in Gig Harbor, Washington.{{cite web|url=https://drive.google.com/open?id=14gIR5uMy3NEpQlpMwGkZqDwFUfE&usp=sharing|title=WCCW Campus|website=drive.google.com}} On campus, there are 10 housing units by the names of:

CCUE&W – close custody unit (Max, East and West pods)
SEG – segregation ("The Hole")
TEC – therapeutic evaluation center ("Psych")
MSUA&B – medium security unit (A and B pods)
MSC J, K – minimum security campus (J, K units)
RDC – receiving and diagnostic center{{Cite web |url=http://www.doc.wa.gov/facilities/prison/wccw/docs/WCCWVisitGuidelines.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2016-05-07 |archive-date=2016-04-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407082415/http://www.doc.wa.gov/facilities/prison/wccw/docs/WCCWVisitGuidelines.pdf |url-status=dead }}

History

The Purdy Treatment Center for Women opened in 1971 with dormitory quarters for 162 women.{{cite news |url=https://www.gigharbornow.org/news/police-fire/second-prison-fence-makes-escaping-doubly-difficult/ |title=Second prison fence makes escaping doubly difficult |date=May 23, 2022 |first=Ed |last=Friedrich |work=Gig Harbor Now}} The first inmates were 92 transferees from the Washington State Penitentiary. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the facility heightened its security level, building a 272-bed minimum-security prison facility in 1992, a 102-bed close-custody unit in 1994, and a 256-bed medium-security unit in 1996. In 2021, the facility added a second perimeter fence made of concertina wire. In 2022, the average daily population of 867 exceeded the facility's official capacity of 738.

In April, 2016 John Legend performed at Washington Corrections Center for Women to raise awareness for his "Free America" campaign to reduce mass incarceration in the United States.{{cite web|url=http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/politics-government/article70556507.html|title=Grammy winner John Legend performing concert at women's prison in Purdy Thursday}}

Notable inmates

Mary Kay Letourneau, Level 2 sex offender and former schoolteacher who pleaded guilty in 1997 to two counts of felony second-degree rape of a child, her 12-year-old student.[https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna5594933 Letourneau gets out of prison - US news - Crime & courts | NBC News]
Barbara Opel, paid 5 teenagers to rob and murder a person.
Michele Kristen Anderson, one of the perpetrators of the 2007 Carnation murders.
Carri Williams, Sedro-Wooley murderer, convicted in the May 2011 death of her 13-year-old adopted daughter, Hana Williams
Donna Perry, convicted of murdering three women prostitutes
Treva Throneberry, con artist
Michelle Knotek, convicted in 2004 for her involvement in the deaths of Kathy Loreno and Ronald Woodworth.

References

Category:Women's prisons in Washington (state)

Category:Prisons in Washington (state)

Category:Gig Harbor, Washington

Category:1971 establishments in Washington (state)

Category:Buildings and structures in Pierce County, Washington

Category:Women in Washington (state)