SPOKANE, Wash. — Washington lawmakers are pushing legislation this upcoming session to tighten requirements for sexually violent predators to be released, aiming to keep those not sorry locked away.
Senate Bill 5854, backed by lawmakers from both parties, including Spokane Senator Marcus Riccelli and Ritzville Senator Mark Schoesler.
The bill aims to strengthen the state’s power to keep these criminals committed by requiring sexually violent predators to voice remorse and complete treatment during their confinement before being considered for any release.
“We don’t want people who are not remorseful or who are not taking part in treatment to be potential threats to our community or retraumatize victims,” Riccelli said.
The legislation comes after recent releases from McNeil Island, the state’s Special Commitment Center, have sparked backlash. The facility previously housed Spokane’s South Hill Rapist, Kevin Coe, among other dangerous offenders.
“I was a member of the state House when the Special Commitment Center was created, and we thought we had it, and we found something could slip through the cracks. We don’t want that to happen again,” Schoesler said.
Currently, McNeil Island houses 113 individuals, though it can hold 313. In 2006, 4 News Now toured the facility, which at the time housed 238 men and one woman, and no one had ever been released from it. Since then, dozens have been set free each year over the past decade.
The bill also allows county officials to reject the placement of released offenders in facilities within their communities.
Under current state law, offenders can apply for release from state commitment once a year.
Spokane County Prosecutor Preston McCollam supports the legislation, saying it would provide courts with additional factors to consider during release hearings.
“As I understand the new bill, it would provide the court some additional factors to consider. And those factors are the crime victims. It’s their voices, in terms of that expression of guilt or remorse, but also whether or not they’ve done what they need to do to be eligible for release,” McCollam said.
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