Overflowing Idaho prisons are sending women with good behavior to ‘the hole’
Incarceration rates are rising, and inmates say they’re being punished for the state’s failures to manage prison capacity
Criminal Justice
A Portland woman says her wife stole her identity. Like many victims, she’s unable to press charges
Experts say difficulties in prosecuting spousal identity theft means victims are often steered to civil court to seek justice
More than one-third of Idaho jails failed their inspections. Find out if your local jail is one of them.
Search InvestigateWest’s database of jail inspections for details on the conditions inside
Without state protections, Idaho jail detainees face dangerous conditions
States in the Northwest lack laws ensuring the health and safety of people locked in county jails
Idaho jails withheld details about dozens of detainee deaths
Idaho doesn’t investigate jail deaths or require counties to report them — leaving jail officials to decide what to tell the public
King County woman’s chance to testify lost as prosecutors opt for plea deal, raising concerns about justice in sexual assault cases
Data shows many King County sexual assault cases end in plea deals that victims and advocates say don’t reflect the crime
WA prisoners pay millions in fees to the state. Most of the money isn’t being used
Family members who have loved ones behind bars are supposed to provide input into how the Incarcerated Individual Betterment Fund gets spent, but they say the state isn’t listening.
A Washington teen was trafficked by a man she met on Tinder, she says. Two years later, she’s still waiting for justice.
As online recruitment and exploitation of child sex trafficking victims rise, Washington is doing little to stop it
Oregon woman endures fear and despair in illegal imprisonment in Coffee Creek prison
Terri Lee Brown was released from Coffee Creek Correctional Facility after the Oregon Supreme Court found Gov. Tina Kotek’s order that sent her back to prison was unlawful
For six years, UW has wrestled with whether to revoke the Ph.D. of one of the Northwest’s most infamous child molesters
Advocates and victims argue the university should do more to hold O’Donnell accountable
After governor’s push for reforms, a new report details harsh conditions at women’s prison
Spokespeople for Gov. Tina Kotek and the corrections agency declined to answer questions about the allegations of abuse and poor conditions at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville
New report says an Oregon public defender’s poor performance affected 100 clients
The report was triggered by concerns from prosecutors in Jefferson County, who noticed the lawyer was not opening police reports and other evidence files.
Why some advocates oppose legislation requiring police get involved in human trafficking cases
Survivors say state, federal bills could put them in danger if passed