Larch Corrections Center
Judge gives OK for state to move ahead with prison closure
Larch Corrections Center in southwest Washington will close Tuesday, despite a last ditch effort by the union representing correctional employees to keep the minimum security state prison open until a round of labor negotiations wraps up. Teamsters Local 117 sued the Department of Corrections last month over what they say were multiple violations of fair […]
Workers sue WA Department of Corrections over Larch closure
The union representing state correctional employees is asking a court to halt the closure of Larch Corrections Center in southwest Washington, claiming the Department of Corrections violated a number of labor practices ahead of its decision to shutter the facility. Teamsters Local 117 filed its complaint Wednesday in Clark County Superior Court, alleging Corrections refused […]
Prison closure plan stokes wildfire response worries in southwest Washington
There are nearly 80 prisoners at the Larch Corrections Center in southwest Washington who assist the state with wildland firefighting. In recent years, incarcerated people there have been dispatched to dozens of fires annually, with some laboring on hand crews and others assigned to cooking duties. That’s why Washington Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz said it […]