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Washington State Institute for Public Policy

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Publications

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Assessments and Charges in Washington Department of Corrections Facilities: A Review and Analysis
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Liqiang Liu, Paige Wanner, Micah McFeely - June 2025

The 2023 Washington State Legislature directed WSIPP to review all assessments and charges imposed on individuals incarcerated in Department of Corrections (DOC) facilities and their family members and the effect of assessments and charges on the financial status of incarcerated individuals. In this report, we quantified the financial costs of items and services incurred by incarcerated individuals during confinement, assessed their financial status, and explored how DOC collected and used the associated commissions and fees.

First, our review shows that while incarcerated individuals initially received certain items free of charge, they were required to purchase replacements for many of these items thereafter. In FY 2024, individuals spent nearly $37 million on additional items and services, with over 93% of the spending concentrated in five major categories: commissary items, phone calls, electronic media services, and food and personal property packages. Additionally, our price comparison analysis indicates that commissary items were priced relatively low.

Second, our analysis reveals that mandatory deductions amounted to roughly 23% of wages and 32% of funds received during FYs 2022-24. Recent policy changes have increased the number of exemptions to those mandatory deductions. Moreover, our assessment shows that the average individual incurred nearly $2,230 annually on additional items and services. Compensation from correctional work assignments could cover nearly 35% of the spending (on average), with the remainder typically paid by family and/or limited debt.

Lastly, our analysis indicates that DOC charged average gross profit margins ranging from 20% to 40% across these five major categories. Additionally, commissions and fees–primarily from phone calls, media services, and incarceration costs–were relatively small (less than 1%) compared to DOC’s budget and were allocated to improvement activities and CI operational expenses.

Download:   Report    Supplementary Document    Executive Summary  
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