OLYMPIA… Public safety is the number one priority of the state, according to Sen. Mike Carrell, R-Lakewood, who voted Friday in favor of a revised bill that will save the state money and keep Washington residents safer. 

In its original form, Senate Bill 5288 intended to save the state money by allowing certain offenders to be released back into the community completely unsupervised. Carrell was the only member of the Human Services and Corrections Committee to vote against the bill in committee. 

“There are places where the state should be very careful when looking to save money, and public safety is one of those areas,” Carrell said. “That’s why today I can support the new version of SB 5288 because it saves taxpayer money without putting the public at undue risk.” 

In the original bill, violent offenders, property offenders and drug offenders who are considered a high risk to reoffend would continue to be under close supervision, but low and moderate risk offenders wouldn’t be supervised at all upon release from prison. Prior to its vote by the full Senate, Carrell worked with the bill’s sponsor to find a compromise. 

Under SB 5288, which passed the Senate 38-8, high risk offenders will continue to be supervised and moderate and low risk offenders will be supervised for six months after they’re released. However if one of these individuals violates any condition of their release that requires they be sent to jail, they would stay under state supervision for the duration of their original sentence. 

SB 5288 now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.