Overview
- The Justice Department, which notified Governor Bob Ferguson on Tuesday, opened a Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) investigation into the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor.
- Investigators will examine claims that female prisoners were denied Eighth Amendment protections from cruel and unusual punishment, including reports of sexual assault, rape, voyeurism, and intimidation tied to housing male inmates in the facility.
- The department said it has reached no conclusions and outlined that CRIPA probes can lead to agreements that require prisons to make specific reforms if violations are found.
- As part of a broader effort, DOJ is collecting information nationwide on men housed in women’s jails and prisons and invited people with relevant information to contact its initiative.
- Context for the review includes Washington’s 2020 policy allowing placements based on gender identity and reported cases such as allegations against inmate Christopher Williams and the removal of Amber FayeFox Kim, as well as an April 2026 lawsuit by the America First Policy Institute challenging the practice.