Washington State Penitentiary

1313 N 13th Ave [Driving Directions]
Walla Walla, WA 99362washington state pen
(509) 525-3610

Superintendent: Jeff Uttecht

Washington State Penitentiary (WSP) is located on 540 acres of farmland near the city of Walla Walla.  Four separate facilities exist within the institution, each of which house a different custody level of offender.  WSP employs 936 staff members. One building in the penitentiary is a LEED™ certified "green" building.

Visiting an Offender

Need assistance with transportation? Contact Matthew House

Offender Population

Current statistics are found in DOC's monthly brochure.

Programs

Walla Walla Community College provides basic education and vocational programs including information technology, barbering, custodial, carpentry, HVAC, and welding.  Offender Change programs are also available including stress and anger management, victim awareness, job hunter, and moral reconation therapy.

Complete list of programs

Correctional Industries Programs

Correctional Industries programs include the metal plant (license plate manufacture, metal chair frames, etc.), sign production, farm operations and the garment factory which makes correctional officer uniforms and food service clothing items.

Community Involvement

Volunteers are involved in religious programs, AA/NA meetings, assisting Veterans with military issues, assisting inmate families with children mentoring programs, and special programs (i.e., dental hygienist, photographer, etc.) that are available to the inmate population and their families.  Guest sport teams, choirs, musical groups, guest speakers/lecturers, and professional groups have held programs for the inmate population.  There are also groups that assist inmates in the process of re-integrating back into society.  Some of the local motels have gift certificates available to assist families with their motel rate, if they need to spend a night at Walla Walla, either before or after a regularly scheduled visit.

Facility History

In 1883, the Territorial Governor authorized the selection of a suitable site for a penitentiary.  In 1885, Walla Walla was chosen.  Construction began in 1886 using bricks manufactured in nearby Dixie from the fine clay beds there.  To provide needed jobs for the prisoners, a one-story jute mill for the manufacture of sacks was built in 1892. Then in 1921, the jute mill was transformed into a license-plate factory, which continues to operate today, producing close to 900,000 sets of plates each year.

More Photos of WSP

More Washington State Penitentiary History

 

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