After a brief jaunt out to Monroe, CAIR-WA Civil Rights Coordinator Jennifer Gist met with the Secretary of Washington Department of Corrections on Tuesday morning, November 30th.
The gathering was the last quarterly Religious Services meeting for this calendar year, and drew 20 to 30 community members and activists from a wide array of religious and cultural traditions, including Islam, Buddhism, Wicca, Catholicism, Christianity, Judaism, and Native American animism, among others. Representing the Department of Corrections was Secretary Eldon Vail, Family Services Program Manager Joenne McGerr and Superintendent of Monroe Correctional Complex Scott Frakes.
Previously, religious programs within the Department of Corrections were discussed in the Religious Services Advisory Committee. However, feeling that the structure of the Religious Services Advisory Committee hindered its effectiveness, Secretary Vail chose to disband the group in favor of meeting with community members and faith leaders. Though Secretary Vail expressed a desire to accommodate all religious and cultural needs, and to educated Department of Corrections (DOC) personnel about the importance of such accommodations, Mr. Vail explained the difficulty of working with such diverse inmates and community activists.
Despite the seeming lag in progress at times, the Religious Services meeting was a productive one, as the group discussed the most recent DOC policy revision regarding Religious Programs. During the discussion, individuals had an opportunity to provide feedback and suggestions to the proposed policy revision, one of which was to provide female Muslim inmates with long-sleeved t-shirts so that they could cover their arms during the warmer months.
CAIR-WA was invited to participate in Religious Services meetings as a representative of the needs of the Muslim community, and as a spokesperson for the accommodations necessary for practicing Muslims. At the meeting, DOC representatives invited CAIR staff to the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla to tour the facility and indicate the appropriate places for congregational prayer. CAIR-Washington's staff is excited to see substantial progress regarding religious accommodations for Muslim inmates. As the progress continues, we look forward to a formidable, but honest relationship with DOC representatives.
