Doors closing at McNeil Island prison after 135 years
March 1, 2011
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neighbor island to Ketron Island
interesting section from the artcicle:
Handoff to DSHS
Morgan said 20 inmates and a few employees will remain on the island until June 30 to help transfer the responsibilities of ferry, fire-protection and water-treatment duties to DSHS. The department hopes to hire corrections employees to remain on the island to handle such jobs, said Kelly Cunningham, CEO of the Special Commitment Center.
“We’re inheriting a lot of stuff we have no history with,” Cunningham said. “We have had to create positions that don’t exist in DSHS — fire chiefs, boat captains, deckhands, all positions unique to the prison.”
Cunningham said he hasn’t heard of plans to move the Special Commitment Center off the island, but he wouldn’t be surprised if that’s being discussed in the Legislature. It costs about $180,000 annually to hold roughly 300 residents at the facility, he said.
In the remaining weeks, DOC employees will board up windows and doors on prison buildings, employee housing and other sites, Morgan said. State workers also are disconnecting electrical lines and capping off plumbing and water lines.
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/doors-closing-at-mcneil-island-prison-after-135-years/