Seattle corrections department investigated for hiring illegal guards

State and native officers are investigating a Seattle-area corrections division after a whistleblower alleged the county employed unqualified immigrants as guards, in keeping with a criticism filed with Washington state authorities.

“People have been employed whereas on solely non permanent work visas, and in some instances even with expired work permits,” the unnamed whistleblower wrote to the state Prison Justice Coaching Fee (WSCJTC) concerning King County hirings. “These hires are in direct violation of the authorized necessities set forth in state regulation.”

The whistleblower was recognized solely as an official of the King County Division of Grownup and Juvenile Detention.

The division mentioned in an announcement that it’s actively investigating the criticism and denied that all the guards have been unlawful immigrants, regardless that some seem to not have met authorized entry necessities.

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A pedestrian passes the King County Correctional Facility in downtown Seattle, Washington, U.S., September 17, 2020. (REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson)

On the time of the submitting on August 27, the whistleblower claimed the violations had been occurring for “a number of years” and have been nonetheless ongoing. The criticism was first reported by SeattleRed host Jason Rantz this week.

Washington regulation requires all peace officers within the state to have their immigration standing verified and have to be U.S. residents, lawful everlasting residents or beneficiaries of the Deferred Motion for Childhood Arrivals program, often called DACA.

Learn the whistleblower complaint:

The regulation doesn’t permit hiring folks on non permanent visas or unlawful immigrants not coated by DACA.

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“The officers in query are all licensed to work in the USA, are extremely educated for his or her roles, have undergone intensive felony background checks and are in good standing with King County,” the King County Division of Grownup and Juvenile Detention mentioned in an announcement.

The SeattleRed report, citing an nameless supply with data of the matter, put the quantity at greater than 100 corrections officers. However the extent of the issue was not instantly clear.

An individual walks previous the King County Correctional Facility in downtown Seattle, Washington, U.S., September 17, 2020. (REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson)

The province mentioned that “the overall variety of corrections officers whose suitability for employment is in query is properly beneath what has been reported within the media.”

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“Nonetheless, it seems that King County might have improperly utilized a requirement set forth in a Washington State statute that limits the classes of workers eligible to function corrections officers in our grownup prisons,” a spokesperson mentioned. “King County takes this potential oversight critically and is actively investigating and taking corrective motion as crucial.”

The state coaching fee informed Fox Information Digital that whereas it trains newly employed corrections officers, it’s the duty of the staffing businesses to vet the candidates. Nonetheless, after studying of the whistleblower’s criticism, county officers informed the fee that 4 of its latest hires didn’t meet eligibility necessities and have been excluded from the coaching program.

A pedestrian crosses the road close to the King County Correctional Facility in downtown Seattle, Washington, U.S., September 17, 2020. (REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson)

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“The company is conscious of the criticism and we’re conducting an open investigation into King County’s hiring practices,” WSCJTC spokesperson David Quinlan informed Fox Information Digital.

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The county is cooperating with the investigation, he added, and the state will decertify anybody who doesn’t meet authorized qualification necessities.

King County is the biggest within the state and contains Seattle and several other suburbs.