Reps. Dan Griffey, Travis Couture propose big changes to protect Washingtonians from sexually violent predators
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Reps. Dan Griffey, Travis Couture propose big changes to protect Washingtonians from sexually violent predators
After months of meeting with multiple stakeholders, Reps. Dan Griffey and Travis Couture have filed legislation to reform Washington state’s sexually violent predator (SVP) system. The goal is to balance protecting Washington residents from SVPs with the Constitutional rights of SVPs, who the courts have ruled cannot be held indefinitely under civil commitment at McNeil Island and must be given a path to unconditional release.
“These proposals are the starting point to fixing this system,” said Griffey, R-Allyn. “While not every stakeholder we have met with agrees on how to fix Washington’s SVP system, they all agree that it is broken.”
“Our current system lacks vision and direction, having been piecemealed together following an array of court rulings over the past several decades,” said Couture, R-Allyn. “It is a big job to reform this system and balance protection from SVPs with SVP constitutional rights, but just because it is a big job does not mean we don’t do the work.”
This week, Griffey and Couture filed a pair of bills to start reforming Washington’s SVP civil commitment system.
House Bill 1451 would require all less restrictive alternatives (LRAs), group homes, where SVPs granted conditional release are placed in communities across the state, to be owned, operated, or contracted by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) to ensure transparency and accountability.
The bill also prohibits an SVP from proposing its own LRA placement before DSHS can identify and suggest one of its own. It also prohibits LRA housing from being placed within 500 feet of where children are known to congregate, requires a 60-day notice to law enforcement in a county where DSHS is considering LRA housing, as well as other conditions before siting.
The bill also requires DSHS to create a new map of Washington for a regional approach to LRA siting by December 1, 2025.
“We have much more work to do on this system,” said Griffey. “That includes taking a closer look at the treatment SVPs receive and ensuring legislative oversight, accountability, and data on outcomes which we are not getting right now. That work is ongoing. For now, we need to do all we can to make sure our communities are safe.”
“We know many of our constituents do not want SVPs released into their neighborhoods,” acknowledged Couture. “We understand and share their safety concerns, but the courts have spoken on this issue. SVPs will be released into communities all over the state, and already have been. Knowing that, our job is to create a system that keeps our communities safe.”
“We have much more work to do on this system,” said Griffey. “That includes taking a closer look at the treatment SVPs receive and ensuring legislative oversight, accountability, and data on outcomes which we are not getting right now. That work is ongoing. For now, we need to do all we can to make sure our communities are safe.”
To ensure communities are safe from SVPs released to LRAs, Griffey and Couture also filed House Bill 1457, which requires SVPs released into communities to wear technologically advanced ankle monitors that are virtually tamper-proof and provide real-time GPS data to avoid dangerous situations like we have already seen.
Both bills are bipartisan, yet neither has been scheduled for a hearing.
Griffey and Couture encourage everyone who supports reforming the SVP system to ensure public safety contact the chair of House Community Safety Committee and request hearings on the bills.
