I wanted to share with you my complete testimony from today's Joint Legislative Audit & Review Committee (JLARC) hearing on the recent staff safety audit at the DOC.  

The purpose of the audit was to measure the Department's success at improving staff safety relative to initiatives the agency has implemented following the murder of Officer Jayme Biendl in 2011.

The hearing took place at 1 p.m. today before a panel of legislators in the Cherberg building in Olympia. 

In my testimony, I focused on what so many of you have said is the greatest need to improve staff safety - a comprehensive, independent audit of staffing levels at the DOC.  

As I testified to legislators, the current staffing model has not been updated in 28 years and does not take into account the additional demands placed on staff since the passage of ESB 5907, the Corrections Safety Bill, in 2011. 

Our hope through this process is that legislature and the Department will finally recognize the tremendous sacrifice you make to ensure the safety of communities across our state.

You can read my complete testimony from today's hearing here.