Inmate debt and fees policies/reports (State-level) (Department of Corrections)

May 4, 2016

MuckRock.com
requests@muckrock.com<mailto:requests@muckrock.com>

Dear MuckRock:

I acknowledge receipt of your recent public records request received in our office on April 28, 2016. We have assigned this request a tracking number of PDU-42043. Please refer to this number in all future communications with us about this request. You requested the following records:

1. All policies and procedures regarding the goods, services or any other expenses for which inmates are or may become liable. All policies on the garnishment/disbursement of funds from inmate accounts and wages (such as those related to mandatory savings, mandatory deductions, coverage of care, personal necessities, etc.) as well as all relevant reporting requirements. All relevant data as regards to medical payments, room and board costs, meal fees, stamps and postage, hygienic materials, and any other expenses for which inmates are or may become liable, etc.
a. I interpret this request item to ask for the current policies and procedures regarding the goods, services, garnishments/disbursements, coverage of care, personal necessities, medical payments, room and board costs, meal fees, stamps and postage, hygienic materials or any other expenses for which inmates are responsible for paying for. If my interpretation is incorrect please let me know.
2. All reports, databases, spreadsheets, or equivalent materials regarding current debts/restitution paid to or owed to this department or any facility/agency under its jurisdiction. You'd like this to include all available segregable information (excluding individual personally-identifying elements, as necessary and appropriate), including but not limited to the reason for the debt/fee, the amounts of the debt, the facility at which the debt was incurred, whether the debt is held by an inmate in custody or released, any available individual data regarding records of prior release
a. Clarification is needed for this request item. First, please provide a timeframe for this item. Second, are you looking for a list of all payments made to the Department by offenders and a list of all outstanding payments (i.e. debts) owed to the Department? I will not begin gathering records for this item until clarification is received.

For the 1st installment, I've gathered 1,404 pages responsive to item one of your request. To receive the records on CD, please pay the Department's fee of $0.79 per compact disk, plus postage. Total copy fees for your request are:

Photocopies $0.79 x 1 CD $0.79
Postage $0.94
Total $1.73

If you choose not to pursue this public disclosure request within 30 days following the date of this letter, this request will be closed.

To obtain these pages please send a check or money order in the exact amount of $1.73. Make payable to the Department of Corrections and mail to the Public Disclosure Unit at PO Box 41118, Olympia, WA 98504. When payment is received the records will be mailed. Please submit the PDU tracking number on your payment (PDU-42043).

If you choose not to pursue this public disclosure request within thirty (30) days following the date of this letter, this request will be closed.

[X]
Sincerely,

Erin Skewis, Public Records Specialist
Public Disclosure Unit
Department of Corrections
PO Box 41118
Olympia WA 98504-1118

PDU #42043
cc: File

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Good afternoon,

By receipt of your e-mail below, I understand you are attempting to make a public records request. I cannot add this request item to an already existing request.

The Washington Administrative Code, WAC 137-08-090, requires all requests for the disclosure of public records be submitted by mail to the Department of Corrections, Public Records Officer, PO Box 41118, Olympia WA 98504-1118, or via e-mail to publicdisclosureunit@doc1.wa.gov<mailto:publicdisclosureunit@doc1.wa.gov>.

To avoid delays in processing your request and to comply with the WAC, please re-submit your request to the mailing address or the unit e-mail address above.

I apologize for any confusion. I didn’t realize you were providing clarification for item #2. For item #2 you provided the following clarification:
Item #2: all outstanding debts owed to the Department, broken down by type, if possible. If there is a report for payments paid from January 1, 2015 through today

I will updated my records to reflect your clarifying information. Staff will begin searching for responsive records, if any, once payment is received for the 1st installment.

Thank you,
Erin

A copy of documents responsive to the request.

Good evening,

I know you’ve provided some previous clarification for item two of this request, however, the staff that are conducting the search are asking for further clarification so they know what records/databases, etc to search in. What type of debts are you looking for: normal accounts receiving, inmate debt, payroll overpayments, etc? Staff will pause on gathering any records for this request until clarification is received from you. If I don’t receive clarification within 30 days, this request will be closed.

Thank you,

Erin Skewis, Public Records Specialist
Department of Corrections
Public Disclosure Unit
PO Box 41118|Olympia, WA 98504