Overview

LWVWA Position on Criminal Justice
The League of Women Voters of Washington recognizes the need for a “criminal justice system that is just, effective, equitable, transparent, and that fosters public trust at all stages, including policing practices, pre-trial procedures, sentencing, incarceration, and re-entry.”

This includes:

• The elimination of systemic bias, including the disproportionate policing and incarceration of marginalized communities;
• Policing practices that promote safety for both law enforcement officers and the communities they serve;
• Collaboration between the government and community throughout every stage of the criminal justice system;
• A focus on humane treatment and rehabilitation with the goal of promoting the successful reentry into communities of those who have been incarcerated; and
• Reliance on evidence-based research in decision-making about law-enforcement programs and policies (including scheduled, periodic audits of program and policy effectiveness).

Summary of Issues for the 2026 Legislative Session
There is still much work to be done in the areas of police reform and accountability, prison conditions, and sentencing reform. The budget shortfall may be a significant impediment to criminal justice reform legislation that comes with a price tag, but there are still many opportunities for positive change.

Police Reform and Accountability
We work with the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability on policing issues, and they have identified four priority bills for 2025:

• Attorney General Investigations and Reform: Authorizes AG to address systemic misconduct by local law enforcement agencies (HB 1056/SB 5066)
  
  
• Sheriffs and Police Chiefs Eligibility: Ensures that all sheriffs, police chiefs, and marshals are held to the same accountability standards as other peace officers (SB 5974)
  
  
• Prohibiting the Use of Face Masks by Law Enforcement Officers. Prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing opaque facial coverings while interacting with the public. (SB 5855)
  
  
• Regulating the use of automated license plate readers. Creates regulations governing automated license plate readers. (SB 6002)

Prison Conditions
We work with several different coalitions and organizations, as well as people who are currently incarcerated, on legislation to improve conditions in prisons. Ninety-five percent of people who are incarcerated will be returning to our communities. By improving conditions in prison and providing opportunities for rehabilitation and social connection, we will ensure that people have the tools they need to succeed when they are released. This benefits not only people who are currently incarcerated, but our communities as a whole.

In 2026, we are prioritizing legislation that will:

• Judicial Discretion Act. Provides judges the opportunity to modify lengthy sentences upon a showing that a person’s original sentence no longer serves the interests of justice. (HB 1125)
  
  
• Limit the Use of Long-Term Solitary Confinement: Solitary confinement bills in previous sessions have failed due to high price tags, so this year, advocates are taking a different approach. The plan is to reduce the number of people who are sent to solitary confinement in the first place by (1) increasing the burden of proof needed to prove an infraction, and (2) limiting the types of infractions that will result in solitary confinement. (HB 1137)
  
  
• Ensuring Access for Voters in Jails. Requires county auditors to develop a voting plan for each jail that includes how the jail will help people. (HB 1146)
  
  
• Allow Voting in Prison:Widespread removal of the right to vote from people who have been convicted of a felony has its roots in the Jim Crow laws enacted following the end of the Civil War. Along with poll taxes and literacy tests, these laws were aimed at preventing Black men from voting. By reinstating the right to vote for all citizens in Washington state, the Free the Vote Act (HB 1196) will begin to undo the harm caused by decades of racial discrimination and help people in prison become better integrated into our society.
  
  
• Preparing Incarcerated People for Successful Reentry: Restores a cap of one-third off across the board for earned early release, (2) authorizes a pilot program at the women’s prison for incarcerated survivors of intimate partner violence or sexual assault, and (3) requires all crime survivors to be given information about how sentences can change as a result of various factors. (HB 1239)

Sentencing Reform
We now know that “tough on crime” sentencing policies have not made our communities safer. Instead, they led to an epidemic of mass incarceration that has had a disproportionately negative impact on marginalized communities.

• Authorizing concurrent sentencing enhancements.  This bill (1) allows courts discretion to order multiple firearm and deadly weapon enhancements to run concurrently rather than consecutively. (HB 1178)
  
  
• Washington Fair Score Act: This bill allows currently incarcerated individuals whose sentences were lengthened by juvenile "points" to petition for resentencing. (HB 1274)
  
  
• Second Look Pathway for Youth: Allows people who committed crimes before age 21 to have their lengthy sentences reviewed. (HB 1317)
  
  
• No Juvenile Strikes: Eliminates the use of any conviction for a crime committed before age 18 as a "strike" offense and requires resentencing for people who are serving life without parole due to one or more underlying convictions for crimes committed before the person turned 18. (SB 5945)
  
  
• Individualized Justice for Youth Act: Requires a finding that community-based placement will not adequately protect the community before a young person can be committed to a youth prison. (# TBD)

Victims/Survivors

• Providing sentencing alternatives and remedies for defendant survivors. This bill allows courts to avoid unduly harsh sentences for defendants who were victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or human trafficking at the time they committed their offense if their abuse was a significant contributing factor to their crime. (HB 1591)

Overview of the 2025 Legislative Session
We are facing a significant budget shortfall for this biennium and byond, which means that it will be difficult to pass any new legislation that has a sizeable price tag attached. However, this fact has been taken into account by legislative bill sponsors and in our decision making regarding which bills to prioritize, so we are optimistic that many of the bills on our list can be passed. Our priorities last year included a mix of legislation that did not pass in 2024, together with some new bills we're excited about.

We will continue to advocate for police accountability and reform, together with our partners at the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability. This includes legislation to limit traffic stops and to ensure that law enforcement agencies will be held accountable for any systemic misconduct. 

We will also seek to improve conditions for people who are currently incarcerated and institutionalized by supporting legislation to (1) ensure that their voices can be heard as part of the democratic process, (2) reduce the use of long-term solitary confinement, (3) make the cost of phone calls from incarcerated people to their friends and loved ones free, and (4) improve educational opportunities in prison. 

Finally, we will continue our efforts to reform draconian sentencing laws by working with Look2Justice and other community advocates to support bills that will (1) extend the age for review of juvenile sentences so that people who committed crimes under age 21 (instead of age 18) can seek review after serving 15 years, and (2) allow people whose sentences have been lengthened as a result of their juvenile records to seek resentencing.