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109-750: The modern Washington Department of Corrections is a relatively young state agency. Agency oversight of correctional institutions in Washington State went through several transitions during the 20th century before the WADOC's creation in 1981. Prior to the 1970s, state correctional facilities were managed by the Washington Department of Institutions. governor Daniel J. Evans consolidated the Department of Institutions, Department of Public Assistance & Vocational Rehabilitation, and other related departments into

218-562: A Republican and a self-styled conservative, Evans became known for his administration's liberal policies on environmentalism (he founded the country's first state-level Washington State Department of Ecology , which became Nixon's blueprint for the United States Environmental Protection Agency ) and strong support of the state's higher education system, including founding Washington's system of Washington Community and Technical Colleges . In addition, he signed

327-428: A 2015 Washington Supreme Court Minority and Justice Commission symposium revealed that reentry resources for formerly incarcerated people in Washington State are still severely underfunded and disconnected. Community Supervision occurs at 86 varied locations in the community to include: field offices, community justice centers, Community Oriented Policing (COP) Shops and outstations. Activities of supervised people in

436-607: A bill to legalize abortion in the first four months of a pregnancy and fought unsuccessfully for a state income tax , two additional liberal positions. Evans announced his campaign for governor in December 1963. He was elected in 1964, defeating incumbent Democratic governor Albert Rosellini , and served until 1977, one of three to be elected to three terms, after Arthur B. Langlie and later Jay Inslee , in Washington state history. A 1981 University of Michigan study named him one of

545-570: A chemical paralytic ." The Chapman protocol was approved by anesthesiologist Stanley Deutsch, formerly Head of the Department of Anaesthesiology of the Oklahoma University Medical School, the On August 29, 1977, Texas adopted the new method of execution, switching from electrocution. On December 7, 1982, Texas became the first U.S. state and territory in the world to use lethal injection to carry out capital punishment, for

654-479: A contract term of five years inclusive of renewal option periods. Under the Washington state Food Umbrella Contract, WA DOC's Correctional Industries procures products from Food Services of America , Liberty Distributing , Medosweet Farms , Spokane Produce, Terry Dairy's , Triple "B" Corporations , and Unisource . WA DOC also contracts with Evergreen Vending, Coca-Cola, and other private food vendors for its facility vending machines. WA DOC contracts with JPay ,

763-558: A death penalty case comes to the governor's desk for action, he will issue a reprieve. However, this action does not commute the sentences of those on death row or issue any pardons. The majority of Washington's death penalty sentences are overturned and those convicted of capital offenses are rarely executed, indicating questionable sentencing in many cases. Since 1981, the year Washington State's current capital laws were put in place, 32 defendants have been sentenced to die. Of those, 18 have had their sentences converted to life in prison and one

872-632: A drug overdose, causing renewed concerns statewide about contraband entering WADOC prisons. At Cedar Creek Corrections Center in 2003, the Washington State Department of Corrections and The Evergreen State College founded the Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP). Dan Pacholke was Cedar Creek Correctional Center's superintendent at the time, and started composting and water catchment programs to save money and create meaningful work for

981-452: A hazard to the prison personnel in case of an accidental needle stick injury. Following connection of the lines, saline drips are started in both arms. This, too, is standard medical procedure: it must be ascertained that the IV lines are not blocked, ensuring the chemicals have not precipitated in the IV lines and blocked the needle, preventing the drugs from reaching the subject. A heart monitor

1090-749: A heart arrhythmia , in that order. First developed in the United States , it has become a legal means of execution in Mainland China , Thailand (since 2003), Guatemala , Taiwan , the Maldives , Nigeria , and Vietnam , though Guatemala abolished the death penalty in civil cases in 2017 and has not conducted an execution since 2000 and the Maldives has never carried out an execution since its independence. Although Taiwan permits lethal injection as an execution method, no executions have been carried out in this manner;

1199-601: A largely empty chamber" and adding that he felt demoralized by "bickering and protracted paralysis". Evans voted in favor of the bill establishing Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday , and the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987 (as well as to override U.S. president Ronald Reagan 's veto). Evans voted in favor of the failed Robert Bork Supreme Court nomination to the Supreme Court of

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1308-420: A lethal injection machine designed by Massachusetts -based Fred A. Leuchter consisting of two components: the delivery module and the control module. The delivery module is in the execution chamber. It must be pre-loaded with the proper chemicals and operates the timing of the dosage. The control module is in the control room. This is the portion which officially starts the procedure. This is done by first arming

1417-402: A moratorium on carrying out the death penalty in Washington State. According to Inslee, "Equal justice under the law is the state's primary responsibility. And in death penalty cases, I'm not convinced equal justice is being served. The use of the death penalty in this state is unequally applied, sometimes dependent on the budget of the county where the crime occurred." The moratorium means that if

1526-422: A private company that charges the incarcerated and their families for electronic mail, photo-sharing, money transfer, and video visiting services. Phone services for the incarcerated and their families are through WA DOC's contract with Global Tel Link . The secretary of corrections in Washington State is a cabinet level position appointed by the state governor. This position differs from the historical director of

1635-432: A subordinate in 2011. Bernard Warner was appointed by Governor Christine Gregoire as Secretary of Corrections in 2011. Warner resigned in 2015 to take a position at a private Salt Lake City corrections industry. Governor Jay Inslee appointed Dan Pacholke Secretary of Corrections in 2015. Pacholke began his career in WADOC in 1982 as a correctional officer at McNeil Island Corrections Center. He worked his way through

1744-479: A violation of medical ethics, such as the Geneva Promise , and such physicians would be thrown out of the medical community and shunned for engaging in such deeds, even if they could not lawfully be stripped of their license. On December 8, 2009, Kenneth Biros became the first person executed using Ohio's new single-drug execution protocol. He was pronounced dead at 11:47 am EST, 10 minutes after receiving

1853-759: A well known Boy Scout camp in Washington State. As an adult, he was awarded the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America in 1973. After high school, Evans served in the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. He first entered the V-12 Navy College Training Program , and was stationed at the University of Washington (UW), but was transferred eight months later to a Reserve Officers' Training Corps program at

1962-419: Is 0.2 mg/kg and the duration of paralysis is around 4 to 8 hours. Paralysis of respiratory muscles will lead to death in a considerably shorter time. Pancuronium bromide is a derivative of the alkaloid malouetine from the plant Malouetia bequaertiana . Instead of pancuronium, other drugs in use are succinylcholine chloride and tubocurarine chloride . Potassium is an electrolyte , 98% of which

2071-526: Is also in response to executions being horrifying to the public. Lethal injections are less expensive than firing squads, with a single dose costing 300 yuan compared to 700 yuan for a shooting execution. Prior to 2013, shooting was the primary method of execution in Vietnam . The use of lethal injection method was approved by the government in 2010, adopted in 2011, and then started being used in 2013. Urges to adopt other methods than lethal injection to replace

2180-455: Is also key to achieve the desired effects in the appropriate order: administration of the pentobarbital renders the person unconscious; the infusion of the pancuronium bromide induces complete paralysis, including that of the lungs and diaphragm rendering the person unable to breathe. If the person being executed were not already completely unconscious, the injection of a highly concentrated solution of potassium chloride could cause severe pain at

2289-507: Is an ultra-short acting barbiturate, often used for anesthesia induction and for medically induced coma. The typical anesthesia induction dose is 0.35 grams. Loss of consciousness is induced within 30–45 seconds at the typical dose, while a 5 gram dose (14 times the normal dose) is likely to induce unconsciousness in 10 seconds. A full medical dose of thiopental reaches the brain in about 30 seconds. This induces an unconscious state. Five to twenty minutes after injection, approximately 15% of

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2398-490: Is attached to the inmate. In most states, the intravenous injection is a series of drugs given in a set sequence, designed to first induce unconsciousness followed by death through paralysis of respiratory muscles and/or by cardiac arrest through depolarization of cardiac muscle cells. The execution of the condemned in most states involves three separate injections (in sequential order): The drugs are not mixed externally to avoid precipitation . A sequential injection

2507-478: Is given. The usual intravenous dose of 10–20 mEq per hour is given slowly since it takes time for the electrolyte to equilibrate into the cells. When used in state-sanctioned lethal injection, bolus potassium injection affects the electrical conduction of heart muscle and ultimately leads to cardiac arrest. The potassium bolus delivered for lethal injection causes a rapid onset of elevated extracellular potassium, also known as hyperkalemia , causing depolarization of

2616-407: Is intracellular. The 2% remaining outside the cell has great implications for cells that generate action potentials. Doctors prescribe potassium for patients when potassium levels in the blood are insufficient, called hypokalemia . The potassium can be given orally, which is the safest route; or it can be given intravenously, in which case strict rules and hospital protocols govern the rate at which it

2725-627: Is issued setting the date for the execution. Female defendants under sentence of death are housed at the Washington Corrections Center for Women near Gig Harbor before being transferred to the Penitentiary no later than 72 hours prior to a scheduled execution, also housed in IMU North, although the execution chamber is located in Unit 6. 78 persons have been executed in Washington since 1904,

2834-432: Is the practice of injecting one or more drugs into a person (typically a barbiturate , paralytic , and potassium solution) for the express purpose of causing rapid death . The main application for this procedure is capital punishment , but the term may also be applied in a broader sense to include euthanasia and other forms of suicide . The drugs cause the person to become unconscious, stops their breathing, and causes

2943-535: Is the sole method allowed, but no penalties have been carried out since 2000 when the country experienced the live televised double executions of Amílcar Cetino Pérez and Tomás Cerrate Hernández . The export of drugs to be used for lethal injection was banned by the European Union (EU) in 2011, together with other items under the EU Torture Regulation. Since then, pentobarbital followed thiopental in

3052-476: Is therefore about 3 times more than the dose used in euthanasia. The Ohio protocol, developed after the incomplete execution of Romell Broom , aims to ensure the rapid and painless onset of anesthesia by only using sodium thiopental and eliminating the use of Pavulon and potassium as the second and third drugs, respectively. It also provides for a secondary fail-safe measure using intramuscular injection of midazolam, followed by sufentanil or hydromorphone in

3161-411: Is used unless the inmate under sentence of death chooses hanging as the preferred execution method. Within 10 days of a trial court entering a judgment and sentence imposing the death penalty, male defendants under sentence of death are transferred to the Penitentiary, where they remain in a segregation unit [Intensive Management Unit North (IMU-N) at the prison] pending appeals, and until a death warrant

3270-626: Is using the single drug sodium thiopental to execute someone. The first state to switch to this method was Ohio, on December 8, 2009. In 2011, after pressure by activist organizations, the manufacturers of pentobarbital and sodium thiopental halted the supply of the drugs to U.S. prisons performing lethal injections and required all resellers to do the same. In the past, the People's Republic of China executed prisoners primarily by means of shooting . In recent years, lethal injection has become more common. The specific lethal injection procedures, including

3379-1047: The CEO of Western State Hospital . WADOC is a paramilitary organization and values respect for chain of command and seniority. The department recruits much of its correctional staff from Joint Base Lewis–McChord career fairs. Non-management positions in the Washington Department of Corrections are negotiated by the Teamsters Local 117 labor union . and the Washington Federation of State Employees. WADOC Honor Guard protocols are governed by WADOC Policy 870.440. Individual WADOC correctional facilities are not required to maintain an Honor Guard. As of 2013, only five of WADOC's 12 facilities maintained an active Honor Guard. Facility superintendents and Chiefs of Emergency Operation are responsible for selecting Honor Guard members and approving Honor Guard participation in local events. The most well-known line of duty death in recent WADOC history

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3488-452: The FBI to become involved in the investigation of employee contraband smuggling at WADOC's Monroe Correctional Complex smuggling in December 2015. A correctional officer was arrested on September 29, 2016. FBI agents determined the officer was accepting bribes of up to $ 1,000 to smuggle contraband into the prison. In August 2016 a 23-year-old incarcerated man at Monroe Correctional Complex died from

3597-502: The Oregon Department of Corrections from 1969 to 1975. Chase Riveland was appointed Secretary of Corrections by Governor Booth Gardner in 1986. He retired in 1997. Riveland drew criticism from Republican lawmakers who felt he was not harsh enough on incarcerated people. However, his cautions against politically-driven policies have proven prescient in the mass incarceration decades that followed his time as secretary. By 2008,

3706-562: The Sisak concentration camp by the camp's commander, the physician Antun Najžer . Royal Commission on Capital Punishment 1949–1953 also considered lethal injection, but eventually ruled it out after pressure from the British Medical Association (BMA). On May 10, 1977, Oklahoma became the first U.S. state to approve lethal injection as Governor David Boren signed a bill into law. Episcopal Reverend Bill Wiseman had introduced

3815-630: The United States Senate , to fill a seat left vacant by the death of long-time senator Henry M. Jackson . Evans won a special election later that year against Mike Lowry , and filled the remainder of Jackson's unexpired term, retiring from politics after the 1988 elections. He was unhappy during his tenure in the Senate, writing in a 1988 column in The New York Times Magazine that "debate has come to consist of set speeches read before

3924-474: The University of California, Berkeley . He did not see combat; he was deployed to the Pacific Ocean shortly after the end of World War II , as a commissioned ensign on a succession of aircraft carriers , before returning to UW in 1946. Evans graduated from the University of Washington with degrees in civil engineering (Bachelor of Science, 1948; Master of Science, 1949). The UW later (in 2007) gave him

4033-712: The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) in the 1970s. On July 1, 1981, the Washington State Legislature transferred the administration of adult correctional institutions from the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Division of Adult Corrections (DSHS) to the newly created Washington State Department of Corrections as part of the 1981 Corrections Reform Act. The Washington Department of Corrections organizational structure includes six major divisions: Each division has an assistant secretary who oversees

4142-640: The execution of Carey Dean Moore on August 14, 2018, the State of Nebraska used a novel drug cocktail comprising diazepam , fentanyl , cisatracurium , and potassium chloride , over the strong objections of the German pharmaceutical company Fresenius Kabi . Potassium acetate had been incorrectly used in place of potassium chloride in Oklahoma in January 2015 for the execution of Charles Frederick Warner . In August 2017,

4251-524: The 2016 Washington State election season. In a resignation email to Senator Mike Padden —one of the most conservative members of the Washington State Senate's Law and Justice Committee—Pacholke wrote, "I notify you now of my resignation. I hope it helps meet your need for blood. I hope it gives you fodder for the press and fulfills your political needs so you can let this agency, our agency, heal." Former secretary of corrections Bernie Warner told

4360-425: The 2016 legislative session, Senators Mark Miloscia , Christine Rolfes , Kirk Pearson , Steve O'Ban , Steve Conway, and Rosemary McAuliffe sponsored unsuccessful SB 6154, with Representatives Luis Moscoso , Eric Pettigrew , Sherry Appleton , Tina Orwall , David Sawyer , Cindy Ryu , Derek Stanford , Gerry Pollet , Teri Hickel , Steve Bergquist , and Sharon Tomiko Santos sponsoring companion HB 2817. In

4469-427: The 2017-2018 legislative session an ombudsman bill, HB 1889, passed both chambers of the legislature. WADOC opposed these legislative efforts. In 2016, WADOC created its own internal ombudsman position. Carlos Lugo, who had previously worked on a special WADOC project concerning visitation access for Latino incarcerated people, was hired as the first WADOC ombudsman. The WADOC Intelligence and Investigations Unit asked

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4578-597: The European Union's ban. By early 2014, a number of botched executions involving lethal injection, and a rising shortage of suitable drugs, had some U.S. states reconsidering lethal injection as a form of execution. Tennessee , which had previously offered inmates a choice between lethal injection and the electric chair , passed a law in May 2014 which gave the state the option to use the electric chair if lethal injection drugs are either unavailable or declared unconstitutional. At

4687-507: The Evergreen campus is named the Daniel J. Evans Library, in his honor. Evans was named as a potential running mate for Richard Nixon in 1968 , but he declined to be considered. Gerald Ford considered nominating him for the vice presidency in 1974 , after he succeeded Nixon mid-term, and as a possible running mate for the 1976 election . In 1983, Governor John Spellman appointed Evans to

4796-590: The Maine correctional system. In 1994, Lehman won the Association of State Correctional Administrators Francke Award. Lehman's starting salary as WADOC secretary was $ 93,659 He oversaw WADOC at a time when the department had a budget of $ 765 million, with 12,825 incarcerated people and 6,300 employees] Harold Clarke, appointed by Governor Christine Gregoire , served as Secretary of Corrections from 2005 until his resignation in late 2007. Prior to his appointment, he directed

4905-633: The Nebraska Department of Corrections, where he had climbed through the ranks for over twenty years. He resigned as WADOC secretary amid controversy over probation supervision to take a position as commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections. Eldon Vail returned from retirement after 31 years with WADOC to serve as Acting Secretary of Corrections until his formal appointment as Secretary by Governor Christine Gregoire in 2008. Vail resigned amid controversy over an affair with

5014-467: The State of Florida first used the drug in the execution of Mark James Asay using a combination of etomidate , rocuronium bromide , and potassium acetate as part of a new protocol. In the United States, the typical lethal injection begins with the condemned person being strapped onto a gurney ; two intravenous cannulas ("IVs") are then inserted, one in each arm. Only one is necessary to carry out

5123-687: The Sustainable Practices Lab. In addition to his role as secretary, he was the DOC co-director of the Sustainability in Prisons Project at The Evergreen State College . On April 29, 2021, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee appointed Cheryl Strange as the Washington DOC's first permanent female secretary. Prior to her appointment, Strange was Secretary of the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services . She had previously served as

5232-575: The United States , which was rejected by the U.S. Senate. After leaving the Senate in 1989, Evans founded his own consulting firm, Daniel J. Evans Associates. Governor Mike Lowry appointed him to the Board of Regents of the University of Washington in 1993; Evans served as the board's president from 1996 to 1997, and in 1999, the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington

5341-569: The United States during his time as governor, but was never chosen. In 1983, he was appointed to the United States Senate following the death of Henry M. Jackson , and was elected in a special election in November and served until 1989, declining to run again. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living former U.S. senator and the second-oldest living American governor. Evans was born on October 16, 1925, in Seattle , Washington, to Lester Evans and

5450-526: The Washington Department of Institutions in its educational requirements. In the 1950s and 1960s, Washington law mandated that directors of the Department of Institutions were required to hold graduate degrees. The modern Washington Department of Corrections has no such requirements for its secretary of corrections. Amos Reed , appointed by Governor John Spellman , served as the first Washington state secretary of corrections from 1981 to 1986. Prior to his position as secretary, Reed served as an administrator in

5559-603: The agency. One of those lawsuits resulted in a $ 3.25 million settlement paid out by the DOC. Since leaving WADOC, Pacholke has become the co-director at Segregation Solutions. He co-authored a report with Sandy Felkey Mullins on segregation practices for the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance titled "More Than Emptying Beds: A Systems Approach to Segregation Reform". Richard "Dick" Morgan returned from retirement after more than three decades of employment with WA DOC to be appointed by Governor Jay Inslee as acting secretary, effective March 14, 2016. He served in

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5668-676: The community are monitored, which includes home visits, by a Community Corrections Officer to ensure compliance with court, or known as the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board, which was the Washington State Board of Prison Terms and Paroles (ISRB), only those individuals who have been deemed rehabilitated by the ISRB are placed on Parole and department conditions of supervision, such as Community Supervision and/or Community Custody. In 2014, Governor Jay Inslee announced

5777-404: The contracts. Formerly incarcerated people housed in work release facilities have progressed from full confinement to partial confinement, and are required to seek, secure, and maintain employment in the community, as well as pay for their room and board. This model is designed to provide some foundation for employment and housing when the formerly incarcerated are released to communities. However,

5886-566: The distinction of Alumnus Summa Laude Dignitatus, the highest distinction the university confers on its graduates. He returned to the United States Navy (1951–1953) before working as a structural engineer (1953–1956); in the latter capacity, he helped draw up the plans for the Alaskan Way Viaduct . Evans served in the Washington State House of Representatives from 1957 to 1965 before being elected governor. Despite being

5995-409: The division's operations. The secretary of corrections is the executive head of the department. The secretary is appointed by the governor with the consent of the state Senate. The department currently operates 12 adult prisons, of which 10 are male institutions and two are female institutions. The department confines over 12,000 people in these facilities, with each varying in size and mission across

6104-417: The drug is in the brain, with the rest in other parts of the body. The half-life of this drug is about 11.5 hours, and the concentration in the brain remains at around 5–10% of the total dose during that time. When a 'mega-dose' is administered, as in state-sanctioned lethal injection, the concentration in the brain during the tail phase of the distribution remains higher than the peak concentration found in

6213-555: The drug or drugs used, are a state secret and not publicly known. Lethal injection in China was legalized in 1996. The number of shooting executions slowly decreased; and, in February 2009, the Supreme People's Court ordered the discontinuation of firing squads by the following year under the conclusion that injections were more humane to the prisoner. It has been suggested that the switch

6322-449: The electric chair unconstitutional). On May 11, 1977, the day after the new method had become state law, Oklahoma 's state medical examiner Jay Chapman proposed making the process a new, less painful method of execution, known as Chapman's protocol: "An intravenous saline drip shall be started in the prisoner's arm, into which shall be introduced a lethal injection consisting of an ultrashort-acting barbiturate in combination with

6431-494: The event intravenous administration of the sodium thiopental proves problematic. The first state to switch to use midazolam as the first drug in a new three-drug protocol was Florida on October 15, 2013. Then on November 14, 2013, Ohio made the same move. In the brief for the U.S. courts written by accessories, the State of Ohio implies that they were unable to find any physicians willing to participate in development of protocols for executions by lethal injection, as this would be

6540-459: The execution of Charles Brooks, Jr. The People's Republic of China began using this method in 1997, Guatemala in 1996, the Philippines in 1999, Thailand in 2003, and Taiwan in 2005. Vietnam first used this method in 2013. The Philippines abolished the death penalty in 2006, with their last execution being in 2000. Guatemalan law still allows for the death penalty and lethal injection

6649-517: The execution; the other is reserved as a backup in the event the primary line fails. A line leading from the IV line in an adjacent room is attached to the prisoner's IV and secured so that the line does not snap during the injections. The arm of the condemned person is swabbed with alcohol before the cannula is inserted. The needles and equipment used are sterilized. Questions have been raised about why these precautions against infection are performed despite

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6758-410: The executioner(s) (either prison staff or private citizens depending on the jurisdiction) then manually inject the three drugs in sequence. During the execution, the condemned's cardiac rhythm is monitored. Death is pronounced after cardiac activity stops. Death usually occurs within seven minutes, although, due to complications in finding a suitable vein, the whole procedure can take up to two hours, as

6867-496: The first phase of hyperkalemia. This progresses into a broadening and lengthening of the P wave and PR interval, then eventually disappearance of the P wave, widening of the QRS complex, and finally, asystole . This process can occur in the span of 30 to 60 seconds, but there have been cases of 'botched' procedures, leading to one inmate gasping for air for approximately 10 to 13 minutes. Sodium thiopental (US trade name: Sodium Pentothal)

6976-482: The first woman to serve in this role. Stephen Sinclair was appointed WA DOC secretary by Governor Jay Inslee on April 25, 2017. He began his career at the agency as a correctional officer and gained progressively greater responsibilities as investigator, sergeant, associate superintendent, superintendent and assistant secretary. As superintendent of the Washington State Penitentiary, Sinclair created

7085-534: The former Irma Alice Ide, descended from a family that had first arrived in the Washington Territory in 1859; his maternal grandfather had served in one of the first state senates in Washington. He was of Welsh descent. He grew up in the Laurelhurst neighborhood, and attended Roosevelt High School . As a young man, Evans was an Eagle Scout , and served as a staff member and Hike Master at Camp Parsons ,

7194-566: The former Nancy Ann Bell, a native of Spokane, Washington on June 6, 1959 at Westminster United Church of Christ in the Cliff/Cannon neighborhood of Spokane. Together, they had three sons, Daniel J. Evans Jr., Mark Evans, and Bruce Evans; and nine grandchildren. 1983 U.S. Senate special election in Washington 1972 Washington gubernatorial election 1968 Washington gubernatorial election 1964 Washington gubernatorial election Lethal injection Lethal injection

7303-591: The heart, and midazolam for sedation. Pancuronium bromide (Trade name: Pavulon): The related drug curare , like pancuronium, is a non-depolarizing muscle relaxant (a paralytic agent) that blocks the action of acetylcholine at the motor end-plate of the neuromuscular junction . Binding of acetylcholine to receptors on the end-plate causes depolarization and contraction of the muscle fiber; non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents like pancuronium stop this binding from taking place The typical dose for pancuronium bromide in capital punishment by lethal injection

7412-1005: The incarcerated. The resulting bill, SB 5295—sponsored by state Senators Jim Kastama , Dan Swecker , Karen Fraser , Jeanne Kohl-Welles , Chris Marr , Debbie Regala , Marilyn Rasmussen , and Rosemary McAuliffe —was not successful. In the years since, many other community groups have added their support for these legislative efforts. Annual attempts to pass an independent ombudsman bill began in 2013 with SB 5177, sponsored by Senators Mike Carrell and Steve Conway . In 2014, Senators Conway, Jeannie Darneille , Steve O'Ban , Jeanne Kohl-Welles , and Annette Cleveland sponsored SB 6399. In 2015, Senators Jeannie Darneille , Rosemary McAuliffe , Jeanne Kohl-Welles , Steve O'Ban , Maralyn Chase , Bob Hasegawa , Karen Keiser , Kirk Pearson , Steve Conway, and David Frockt sponsored SB 5505, with Representatives Luis Moscoso , Roger Goodman , Eric Pettigrew , Sherry Appleton , Tina Orwall , Timm Ormsby , and Laurie Jinkins sponsoring companion bill HB 2005. In

7521-427: The induction dose for anesthesia, because repeated doses—or a single very high dose as in lethal injection—accumulate in high concentrations in body fat, from which the thiopental is gradually released. This is the reason why an ultra-short acting barbiturate, such as thiopental, can be used for long-term induction of medical coma . Historically, thiopental has been one of the most commonly used and studied drugs for

7630-413: The induction of coma. Protocols vary for how it is given, but the typical doses are anywhere from 500 mg up to 1.5 grams. It is likely that this data was used to develop the initial protocols for state-sanctioned lethal injection, according to which one gram of thiopental was used to induce the coma. Now, most states use 5 grams to be absolutely certain the dosage is effective. Pentobarbital

7739-480: The injection. On September 10, 2010, Washington became the second state to use the single-drug Ohio protocol with the execution of Cal Coburn Brown , who was proclaimed dead within two minutes after receiving the single-drug injection of sodium thiopental. Seven states ( Arizona , Georgia , Idaho , Missouri , Ohio, South Dakota , and Texas ) have used the single-drug execution protocol. The state of Washington used this single drug method, but stopped when execution

7848-400: The lack of guarantee that the victim will be unconscious in every individual case. There have been instances in which condemned individuals have been injected with paralytics, and then a cardiac arrest -inducing agent, while still conscious; this has been compared to torture . Proponents often say that there is no reasonable or less cruel alternative. Lethal injection gained popularity in

7957-407: The late 20th century as a form of execution intended to supplant electrocution , gas inhalation , hanging and firing squad , that were considered to be less humane. It is now the most common form of legal execution in the United States. Lethal injection was proposed on January 17, 1888, by Julius Mount Bleyer , a New York doctor who praised it as being cheaper than hanging . Bleyer's idea

8066-497: The lethal drugs for the main line and syringes 1, 3 and 5 containing the injections for the backup line. The system was used in New Jersey before the abolition of the death penalty in 2007. Illinois previously used the computer, and Missouri and Delaware use the manual injection switch on the delivery panel. Eleven states have switched, or have stated their intention to switch, to a one-drug lethal injection protocol. A one-drug method

8175-530: The machine, and then with station members simultaneously pressing each of their buttons on the panel to activate the delivery. The computer then deletes who actually started the syringes, so the participants are not aware if their syringe contained saline or one of the drugs necessary for execution (to assuage guilt in a manner similar to the blank cartridge in execution by firing squad ). The delivery module has eight syringes. The end syringes (i.e., syringes 7 and 8) containing saline, syringes 2, 4 and 6 containing

8284-449: The media he did not know about the computer glitch until notified by Governor Jay Inslee 's general counsel. However, Pacholke told the media that Warner's assistant secretary knew of the mistaken early release of prisoners as early as 2012. At least two people were killed in homicides linked to prisoners who had mistakenly been released early, and families of the deceased in each of those cases went on to file wrongful death lawsuits against

8393-610: The men incarcerated at the minimum security facility. Dr. Nalini Nadkarni, a member of the faculty at Evergreen, asked for incarcerated people to join her in a study to grow native mosses, and Cedar Creek welcomed her proposal. From here, the partnership between Evergreen and WADOC strengthened and expanded. In the decade plus since, SPP has expanded to several other WADOC prisons. Incarcerated people raise endangered species and carry out impressive composting operations using recycled construction materials. Daniel J. Evans Daniel Jackson Evans (October 16, 1925 – September 20, 2024)

8502-604: The mentioned shortening of the refractory period. At approximately 8 mEq/L and beyond, the shortened refractory period and increased resting membrane potential diminishes the quantity of voltage-gated sodium channels ready to contribute to rapid phase 0 depolarization due to the inactivation gate requiring further repolarization to open back up. At potassium concentrations beyond 14mEq/L, enough sodium channels remain inactivated to no longer generate an action potential, ultimately leading to no heart beat. Heart potassium levels after lethal injection can reach 160.0 mEq/L. Depolarizing

8611-565: The method into the Oklahoma legislature, where it passed and was quickly sent to the Governor's desk (Title 22, Section 1014(A)). The next day, Texas became the second U.S. state to approve a lethal injection law. Since then, until 2004, 37 of the 38 states using capital punishment introduced lethal injection statutes (the last state, Nebraska , maintaining electrocution as its single method until adopting injection in 2009, after its Supreme Court deemed

8720-565: The most recent being Cal Coburn Brown , in 2010. The Washington Department of Corrections revenue-generating, industry job training, and factory food production branch is Washington State Correctional Industries. It is a member of the National Correctional Industries Association . Correctional Industries began centralizing food production at the Airway Heights Correctional Center in 1995. In

8829-415: The muscle cell inhibits its ability to fire by reducing the available number of sodium channels (they are placed in an inactivated state). ECG changes vary depending on serum potassium concentrations and on the individual. Peaked T-waves signifying faster repolarization and potentially instances of early-repolarization and phase 2 re-entry (Brugada, Short QT, and Early-Repolarization Syndromes) are evident in

8938-465: The needle, while a second prison employee orders, prepares, and loads the drugs into the lethal injection syringes. Two other staff members take each of the three syringes and secure them into the IVs. After the curtain is opened to allow the witnesses to see inside the chamber, the condemned person is then permitted to make a final statement. Following this, the warden signals that the execution may commence, and

9047-540: The number of people incarcerated in Washington had more than tripled since the time Riveland first came to WADOC. Joe Lehman was a graduate of St. Martin's College and Pacific Lutheran University. He spent 21 years as a probation and parole officer and deputy secretary in Washington's prison system. Lehman was appointed secretary of Corrections by Governor Gary Locke in 1997, and served until 2005. Prior to serving as WADOC secretary, Lehman oversaw Pennsylvania's largest prison expansion in state history and then worked for

9156-518: The purpose of the injection being death. The several explanations include: cannulae are sterilized and have their quality heavily controlled during manufacture, so using sterile ones is a routine medical procedure. Secondly, the prisoner could receive a stay of execution after the cannulae have been inserted, as happened in the case of James Autry in October 1983 (he was eventually executed on March 14, 1984). Third, use of unsterilized equipment would be

9265-515: The ranks until he was appointed secretary. Pacholke resigned after a short tenure amid controversy over a WADOC computer glitch that caused the somewhat early release of approximately 3,000 incarcerated people over more than a decade. Some formerly incarcerated people who had established new lives upon early release were reincarcerated in response to public and political outcry over the early releases. The early release scandal became an expression of more complex political relationships in anticipation of

9374-491: The readoption of shootings. The first prisoner in Vietnam to be executed by lethal injection, on August 6, 2013, was 27-year-old Nguyen Anh Tuan, arrested for murder and robbery. Between 2013 and 2016, 429 prisoners were executed by this method in the country. Typically, three drugs are used in lethal injection. Pancuronium bromide (Pavulon) is used to cause muscle paralysis and respiratory arrest, potassium chloride to stop

9483-493: The requirement that correctional officer uniforms come from Correctional Industries. WADOC Policy 870.400 lists detailed requirements for staff uniforms. In 2007, the Washington Religious Society of Friends ( Quakers ) spearheaded legislative efforts to create an independent ombudsman position that would provide an alternative avenue of mediation between WADOC, WADOC staff, incarcerated people, and family members of

9592-576: The resting membrane potential of the heart muscle cells, particularly impacting the heart's pacemaker cells. However, potassium's effect on membrane potential is concentration dependent and ultimately occurs in two phases. Given the reference range for serum potassium is 3.5-5.5 mEq/L, concentrations up to 8 mEq/L shorten action potential duration and the refractory period due to an allosteric effect of potassium ions on potassium channels, leading to increased conduction velocity and subsequently quicker potassium efflux which contributes to quicker repolarization and

9701-518: The role of secretary until January 12, 2017. Morgan had previously served as a member of the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board and of the Washington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. Former Washington State Department of Social and Health Services employee Jody Becker-Green was appointed by Governor Jay Inslee as acting secretary from January 10, 2017 to April 25, 2017, becoming

9810-416: The same is true for Nigeria. Lethal injection was also used in the Philippines until the country re-abolished the death penalty in 2006. Although primarily introduced as a more "humane" method of execution, lethal injection has been subject to criticism, being described by some as cruel and unusual . Opponents in particular critique the operation of lethal injections by untrained corrections officers and

9919-423: The same time, Wyoming and Utah were considering the use of execution by firing squad in addition to other existing execution methods. In 2016, Pfizer joined over 20 American and European pharmaceutical manufacturers that had previously blocked the sale of their drugs for use in lethal injections, effectively closing the open market for FDA -approved manufacturers for any potential lethal execution drug. In

10028-408: The shooting execution began earlier, in 2006, after concerns of the mental state of the firing squad members after executions. The drugs used consist of pancuronium bromide (paralytic), potassium chloride (cardiotoxin), and sodium thiopental (anesthetic). The production of these substances, however, is low in Vietnam. This led to drug shortages and to considering using other domestic poisons or

10137-399: The site of the IV line, as well as along the punctured vein; it interrupts the electrical activity of the heart muscle and causes it to stop beating, bringing about the death of the person being executed. The intravenous tubing leads to a room next to the execution chamber, usually separated from the condemned by a curtain or wall. Typically, a prison employee trained in venipuncture inserts

10246-536: The state, tape recording his speeches, and reporting back to a campaign aide. A minor scandal later followed when the Democrats found out about Bundy, who had been posing as a college student. From 1977 to 1983, Evans served as the second president of Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington , which Evans had created in 1967 by signing a legislative act authorizing the formation of the college. The largest building on

10355-403: The state. The department currently has 12 work release facilities. All but two of these facilities are operated by contractors, who manage the daily safety and security and have oversight of the facilities full-time (24 hours a day, 7 days per week). Department staff are located on site to assist in supervision, monitoring, and case management of those under supervision, as well as monitoring of

10464-453: The ten outstanding American governors of the 20th century. He declined to run for a fourth term in 1976. Jay Inslee joined both Langlie and Evans, becoming the third Washington governor to serve three terms with his re-election victory in 2020. Serial killer Ted Bundy served as one of hundreds of campaign volunteers for Evans. Despite rumors, Evans never met Bundy. During the 1972 campaign, Bundy followed Evans's Democratic opponent around

10573-468: The years since, freshly cooked food for incarcerated people in Washington prisons has gradually and in large part been replaced by factory processed, prepackaged food. On May 21, 2015, The GEO Group announced the signing of a contract with the Washington Department of Corrections for the out-of-state housing of up to 1,000 prisoners at the company-owned North Lake Correctional Facility in Baldwin, Michigan, with

10682-575: Was abolished. Five additional states ( Arkansas , Kentucky , Louisiana , North Carolina , and Tennessee ) announced that they would switch to a single-drug protocol but, as of April 2014, had not executed anyone since switching protocols. After sodium thiopental began being used in executions, Hospira , the only American company that made the drug, stopped manufacturing it due to its use in executions. The subsequent nationwide shortage of sodium thiopental led states to seek other drugs to use in executions. Pentobarbital, often used for animal euthanasia ,

10791-582: Was an American politician from Washington . A member of the Republican Party , he served as governor of Washington from 1965 to 1977 and a member of the United States Senate from 1983 to 1989. Following his service in the United States Navy , Evans was elected to the Washington House of Representatives in 1956. He then served as Republican leader of the House before being elected governor in 1964 . He

10900-512: Was introduced at the end of 2010 due to a shortage of sodium thiopental, and has since become the primary sedative in lethal injections in the United States. Barbiturates are the same class of drug used in medically assisted suicide. In euthanasia protocols, the typical dose of thiopental is 1.5 grams; the Dutch Euthanasia protocol indicates 1-1.5 grams or 2 grams in case of high barbiturate tolerance. The dose used for capital punishment

11009-796: Was named for him. Evans also went on to work in media, doing an editorial weekly on the KIRO-TV newscasts from the early- to mid-1990s. In 2012, Evans was listed as a director of the Initiative for Global Development. His autobiography was published in 2022. Evans became the oldest living former U.S. senator following the death of James L. Buckley in August 2023. On January 26, 2024, his wife of 64 and 7/12 years, Nancy Ann Evans died at age 90 due to breast cancer. Evans died at his home in Seattle on September 20, 2024 at age 98, almost eight months after his wife's death. He

11118-507: Was never used, due to a series of botched executions and the eventual rise of public disapproval in electrocutions. Lethal injections were first used by Nazi Germany to execute prisoners during World War II . Nazi Germany developed the Action T4 euthanasia program led by Karl Brandt as one method to dispose of Lebensunwertes Leben (" life unworthy of life "). During the war, lethal injections were also administered to children detained at

11227-472: Was reelected twice more in 1968 and in 1972 . Described as a moderate Republican , particularly on social and environmental issues, Evans supported Nelson Rockefeller for the Republican nomination for president in 1968 and refused to endorse Richard Nixon , despite giving the keynote address at that year's Republican National Convention . Evans was considered a potential candidate for vice president of

11336-595: Was set free. Prior to Inslee's moratorium, Washington's capital punishment law required that capital punishment imposed by the state's courts be carried out at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla . Procedures for conducting executions are supervised by the Penitentiary Superintendent. Washington utilizes two methods of execution: lethal injection and hanging . Lethal injection

11445-734: Was that of Jayme Biendl in 2011. This incident has been called "the Washington Department of Corrections 9/11 ", as it resulted in dramatic changes to WADOC security protocols and programs for incarcerated people. An annual Behind the Badge memorial run is held in honor of Biendl's service. In 2012, WADOC correctional officers advocated for improved uniforms in keeping with the standards of uniforms of other Washington law enforcement agencies. Prior to 2012, correctional officer uniforms were made by incarcerated people in industry job positions. This provided 100 jobs for incarcerated people, as well as eight supervisory correctional officer positions. This bill removed

11554-453: Was the case with the execution of Christopher Newton on May 24, 2007. According to state law, if a physician 's participation in the execution is prohibited for reasons of medical ethics , then the death ruling can be made by the state medical examiner 's office. After confirmation that death has occurred, a coroner signs the condemned's death certificate. Missouri and, before the abolition of capital punishment, Delaware , uses or used

11663-616: Was the last living former U.S. senator born in the 1920s. Evans was a Boy Scout whose early experiences hiking in the Olympic Mountains nurtured a life-long love of wilderness. Evans supported Congress' creation of North Cascades National Park in 1968. As governor, he persuaded President Gerald Ford to sign a 1976 legislation creating the Alpine Lakes Wilderness , when the United States Forest Service

11772-539: Was urging a veto. Evans sponsored the million-acre Washington Park Wilderness Act as a U.S. senator, and legislation creating the national scenic area in the Columbia River Gorge . In 1989, Evans co-founded the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition, with Mike Lowry . In 2017, Olympic Wilderness at Olympic National Park was renamed to Daniel J. Evans Wilderness, in honor of Evans. Evans married

11881-676: Was used as part of a three-drug cocktail for the first time on December 16, 2010, when John David Duty was executed in Oklahoma . It was then used as the drug in a single-drug execution for the first time on March 10, 2011, when Johnnie Baston was executed in Ohio. Lethal injection has also been used in cases of euthanasia to facilitate voluntary death in patients with terminal or chronically painful conditions. Euthanasia can be accomplished either through oral, intravenous, or intramuscular administration of drugs. In individuals who are incapable of swallowing lethal doses of medication, an intravenous route

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