OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The state Department of Corrections says the last group of inmates housed in out-of-state prisons has returned to Washington.
At its peak, Washington housed more than 1,200 prisoners in privately operated prisons in several states. On Tuesday, a chartered-plane with 116 prisoners landed in Spokane.
The department says the state’s prison population has leveled off in Washington, allowing officials to gradually bring back inmates.
Corrections Secretary Eldon Vail says prisoners who are regularly visited are less likely to commit a new felony after release.
