November 2021 Bar Bulletin
By Christopher L. Young
At issue In the Matter of the Personal Restraint Petition of Williams:1 whether Petitioner has shown his confinement conditions violate the federal or state constitution, or state law. With respect to prison conditions, the Court held that Washington’s Constitution is “more protective” then the United States Constitution and set forth factors to determine whether confinement violates the state constitution.
The department of corrections had confined Petitioner since 2009.
When Covid-19 brought a global pandemic, Petitioner was 77 years old. Petitioner has other health conditions that render him susceptible to infection and more extreme symptoms. Additionally, Covid-19 presents particular dangers to those incarcerated.2 Accordingly, DOC has implemented procedures...