Dear Friends,

We are concerned about a problem that faces our state and nation and is very costly to us economically and socially--the growth in prisons and the number of our citizens in them.

Prisons have been taking a larger portion of our tax dollars every year since 1990, reducing the funds available for schools, roads, and other vital public services.

The percentage of our citizens in prisons has also increased, approximately tripling in Washington and the nation since 1980.  We now have five times as many of our citizens in prison as Canada, which has comparable crime rates except in murder by gun, and seven times as many as most European countries.

The reason we have done this is to achieve public safety. Criminal justice studies have shown  that greater public safety is achieved per dollar spent on community placement, treatment, and prevention programs.  This is particularly true for non-violent offenders, who make up more than a third of our prison populations. 

Despite increased media coverage of crime, our actual crime rates have been stable or falling since the 1970's.

All of us want public safety.  We need to find ways to achieve public safety which are cost effective, and which are fair to victims, their families, offenders, and our communities.  To do so, we need to substantially reduce our reliance on prisons.

The Friends Committee on Washington State Public Policy is willing to work with legislators, administrators, and interested organizations and individuals to find ways to accomplish this. 

We have produced a paper titled, "An Overview of Criminal Punishment in Washington" , which is available below, to provide perspective on this problem. 

You can contact FCWPP on this issue by writing to:

Daniel Clark, Clerk, Criminal Justice Working Group, 
PO Box 1222
Walla Walla, WA 99362
(509) 522-0399
[email protected]

We welcome your input.