PRESS RELEASE: Secretary Sinclair Receives National Corrections Award

Released December 17, 2020

Contact Susan Biller (email)

DOC Communications

Washington State Department of Corrections, Secretary Stephen Sinclair, is the 2020 recipient of the Clements Award, presented by the national Correctional Leaders Association (CLA). Sinclair received the award during the association’s All Directors Virtual Symposium on Dec. 17, 2020.

The Clements Award honors the memory of Tom Clements, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Corrections. On March 19, 2013, Clements was killed outside his home by a parolee.

CLA created the award to identify association members who, like Clements, demonstrate the virtues of vision, mission, innovation, reform, and the fair and effective treatment of those under Corrections jurisdiction, from incarceration through reentry into their communities.

Like the late Tom Clements, Sinclair takes an innovative approach as a visionary leader, dedicated to the agency’s commitment to operating a safe and humane corrections system and partnering with others to positively transform lives for a better Washington.

Sinclair is actively leading work to continue integrating an enriched, humanely focused mission, vision, and core values throughout the Washington system through enhanced training and evaluation processes. He is also reforming the system to create more effective treatment and pro-social programming for incarcerated individuals through progressive national and international partnerships with the Vera Institute of Justice and Amend at University of California-San Francisco.

“I am so appreciative of this award and the support of my peers around the nation, truly humbling!” Said Wash. Corrections Secretary Stephen Sinclair. “It is hard to focus on recognition when our Department, continues to actively respond to the pandemic. Keeping those under our care safe and healthy while working hard to provide the best quality healthcare, continues to be our number one priority. Still, I am thankful we are able to find ways to move forward on important issues like; addressing the racial disproportionality in the criminal justice system as well as our efforts to reform our system through cultural change. I am so proud of this Department and all the staff who have made our Department the leader in Corrections it is.”