Our Work

For Community Members in Washington State Prisons

Our goal is to support and expand second chance opportunities for incarcerated individuals.

We stay connected with people in Washington prisons through regular updates about trends in resentencing outcomes, information on defender support, and general support and encouragement.

We work with the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) to distribute information sheets that describe significant developments in resentencing law. When new laws are announced or enacted, RPW posts newsletters on our website and in DOC law libraries that explain the law and how we expect it will be applied to individuals under sentence. RPW has written a guide, “Resentencing, Clemency, and Juvenile Parole,” which explains what those options are and how they work. The guide is currently available in DOC law libraries. Over the next year, RPW staff will host a workshop at each prison in Washington to provide guidance on issues relating to resentencing, juvenile parole, and clemency. These workshops keep individuals living inside prisons informed of the legal landscape for resentencing and other avenues for early release.

For Attorneys in Washington State

Our role is to provide legal support, not direct representation.

We provide case support to attorneys handling resentencing and early release hearings from resource attorneys who are experts in felony sentencing and post-conviction litigation. We track and maintain case outcome information on Blake, Domingo-Cornelio & Ali (DCA), Monschke, SB 5164, and SB 6164 resentencing statewide. We also provide periodic reports to defender offices.

We maintain a research and case support database that includes:

  • Sample motions in Blake, DCA, Monschke, SB 5164, and SB 6164 cases from defenders across the state;

  • Cutting-edge research on the harmful impact that mass incarceration has had on individuals, families, and the integrity of our criminal legal system, with suggestions for how that data relates to Blake, DCA, Monschke, SB 5164, and SB 6164 cases; and

  • Training for using the American Equity and Justice Group database to support arguments in individual cases.

RPW has developed a training manual for resentencing cases to support defenders statewide. We offer training for defenders on resentencing case law updates, trends in sentencing outcomes, guidance on navigating the prison system, ways of building trust with incarcerated clients, and reentry planning.

We provide access to case development support through assistance with client communication and mitigation information follow-up.

We will work with community members and organizations to increase and encourage community engagement and advocacy in the criminal legal system.

Reentry & Mentoring Support

We support defenders in preparing a solid release and reentry plan for individuals going back to court for resentencing, going before the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board, or the Clemency and Pardons Board. We offer training led by individuals with lived experience on the pre- and post-release transition support that is needed in resentencing and early release cases.

We will:

  • Work with county defenders and the Office of Public Defense (OPD) to determine what additional infrastructure defender offices need to support reentry and transition support and help defenders plan budgets and lobby for the resources they need,

  • Build a central hub of community resources for defenders to access services for individual clients for reentry and transition support, and

  • Support individuals who have transitioned back to the community through mentoring group support and community building.

Relief from Unconstitutional Convictions for Noncitizens

We utilize the existing relationships the Seattle Clemency Project (SCP) has built with 37 law firms and corporations in Washington to train a fleet of volunteer lawyers. These lawyers will represent individuals who need relief from unconstitutional convictions where they were misinformed about the deportation consequences of their plea.

We offer training manuals to support the work of volunteer lawyers, incorporating the expertise Washington Defender Association (WDA) has cultivated in the intersection between immigration and criminal law for the past 20 years.

We provide individualized and ongoing case support to volunteer lawyers who are handling cases.

We maintain a partnership with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project to ensure individuals who are facing deportation are assigned counsel to reopen their case in immigration court after the completion of their post-conviction relief case.

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