Facilities Closure Study
The 2009–11 Washington state operating budget instructed the Washington State Office of Financial Management to:
“Contract with consultants with expertise related to the subject matters included in this study. The Office of Financial Management (OFM) and the consultants shall consult with the department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), the Department of Corrections (DOC), stakeholder groups that represent the people served in these institutions, labor organizations that represent employees who work in these institutions and other persons or entities with expertise in the areas being studied.”
“The Office of Financial Management shall submit a final report to the governor and the ways and means committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate by November 1, 2009. The report shall provide a recommendation and a plan to eliminate 1,580 beds in the Department of Corrections facilities, 235 beds from Juvenile Rehabilitation facilities, and 250 funded beds in the Residential Habilitation Centers through closure or consolidation of facilities.” Learn more about the full proviso (see Section 130, Subsection 3).
To carry out this directive, OFM awarded a contract through a competitive bidding process to Christopher Murray and Associates. The contract began on July 9, 2009, and the final report is due to the Governor and the Legislature Nov. 1.
What information is included in the report?
Information in the study includes:
- An assessment of each closure option studied;
- Where and how services should be provided; and
- Any costs or savings associated with each recommendation.
What happens next?
With the release of the final report, the consultant has fulfilled the requirements of the contract, as specified in the language of the budget proviso (House Bill 1244). The final report is being transmitted to the Governor and the Legislature.
The Office of Financial Management will take the final report’s recommendations under consideration as it builds the Governor’s 2010 supplemental budget, which will be released in December.
Related resources
Feasibility Study for the Closure of State Institutional Facilities (FINAL REPORT)
- Part 1: Department of Corrections Facilities
- Part 2: Juvenile Rehabilitation Facilities
- Part 3: Residential Habilitation Centers
- Technical Appendix
If you need the reports in an alternate version, please contact kate.lykinsbrown@ofm.wa.gov or call 360-902-0555
