Submit

A 2021 law expanded Washington’s power to decertify police. Officers still avoid consequences

In 2021, Washington lawmakers expanded the state’s power to strip cops of their certification. In an effort to keep officers fired for certain types of misconduct out of law enforcement, they passed a law requiring police agencies across the state to quickly report officer separations and misconduct

 

Bill to establish statewide oversight of jails in Washington dies in Legislature

The most recent attempt to pass legislation that would create an independent statewide jail oversight body has faltered after facing opposition from law enforcement groups and city and county officials.

 

Two Colville women were booked into a rural Washington jail. It became a death sentence

Editor’s note: This article contains discussions of suicide. If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide, there are resources to help.

 

Lawsuit alleges Bureau of Indian Affairs officers “executed” unarmed Shoshone-Paiute man in Idaho

The family of an unarmed Shoshone-Paiute man who was shot and killed by Bureau of Indian Affairs police in March 2024 after a prolonged chase in southwestern Idaho has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit over his death.

 

Most children charged with crime as adults in Washington are youth of color

In 2018, Washington passed a law to limit the number of children charged as adults. Supporters of the law argued the legislation was necessary to prevent needlessly harsh sentences, noting that kids of color were more likely to be charged as adults than white children.

 

Native American children more likely to be arrested, jailed in Washington state, data shows

For the past 30 years, it’s been clear: Native American children in Washington state are far more likely to be arrested and jailed than white kids.

 

Report: Nearly half of all federal funding for tribes at risk under Trump’s ‘big beautiful’ bill

A new report from Portland State University found that budget cuts under President Donald Trump’s new spending bill threaten nearly half of federal funding allocated to federally recognized Native American and Alaska Native nations last year.