Washington State Penitentiary Inmate Search

Washington State Penitentiary Overview

Washington State Penitentiary is physically located in Walla Walla County at 1313 North 13th Avenue, but it is operated by the Washington State Department of Corrections. That distinction is the main accuracy point for inmate searches. The Walla Walla County Corrections Department handles local pretrial and short-sentence custody. Sheriff Mark Crider's Sheriff's Office is part of the local public-safety system, but Washington State Penitentiary houses sentenced adult men in state custody, and its records are maintained through DOC rather than the county jail roster.

The DOC WSP fact sheet, 400-GU039 revised 10/2024, lists custody levels as Minimum, Medium, Close, and IMU. It also describes a long-running prison site built in 1886 on 540 acres, including 240 acres of farmland. DOC notes that WSP is among the top employers in Walla Walla County and places the facility in a county known for agriculture and wine industries. Published program examples include law library access, canine training, Sustainable Practice Labs, 40 Acre Garden, beekeeping, a mental health program, and a Residential Treatment Unit.

The official Washington State Penitentiary page matches this facility because it lists WSP address, phone, visiting hours, unit schedules, and IMU rules.

The WSP screenshot reinforces that visitation and facility notices come from DOC. A county jail roster cannot confirm a state-prison visit schedule or current DOC housing location.

Washington State Penitentiary Capacity and Population

The official DOC WSP fact sheet lists 2,356 total capacity and 2,050 2024 year-to-date average daily population. Those numbers describe the state-prison population, not the Walla Walla County jail population. The prison is much larger than the county jail, which WASPC 2024 listed at 120 beds and 69.67 average daily population. For countywide inmate-population pages, the two systems should be counted and explained separately.

WSP's published custody mix includes minimum, medium, close, and intensive management. The research also lists an approximate annual operating budget of $106,363,595 for FY22/23. Those details are useful for understanding the facility, but a family member or records user should still confirm a specific person's current location through the DOC incarcerated search because prison assignments and units can change.

How to Look Up an Inmate at Washington State Penitentiary

Use the Washington State Department of Corrections incarcerated search. DOC states that it publishes information about currently incarcerated individuals to improve public safety, subject to its disclaimer and terms of use. The search fields are DOC Number, First Name, and Last Name. Visible result columns include DOC Number, Name, Age, and Location. DOC also links Washington Victim Notification Network, or WA VINE, for custody-status and protective-order notifications.

1. Open the Washington DOC incarcerated search, not the Walla Walla County jail roster.
2. Enter the DOC Number if known, or search by first and last name.
3. Review the result columns and confirm the Location field shows Washington State Penitentiary or another DOC site.
4. Use the DOC profile, WA VINE, or DOC contact channels for state-prison status and notification questions.

Once a person is sentenced to state prison and transferred to DOC, the county roster is no longer the correct long-term lookup. A county record may still show the earlier booking, arrest, bond, or court data, but the state location and prison status come from DOC. If the person is a federal inmate, use the BOP locator. If the person is in immigration custody, use ICE ODLS. Neither federal nor ICE lookup replaces DOC search for WSP.

Washington State Penitentiary Address and Contact

The DOC prison map and WSP facility page list Washington State Penitentiary at 1313 North 13th Avenue in Walla Walla. Use the main phone number for facility questions, but use the DOC incarcerated search for current location and status before calling about an individual. For county-arrest questions, bail, or current local jail custody, contact Walla Walla County Corrections Department instead. For local court-file routing after a county arrest, use the Superior Court Clerk or District Court records process rather than the prison.

Visiting Someone at Washington State Penitentiary

WSP visitation is prison-specific and differs from county jail visitation. The official WSP page says regular visiting hours are subject to unplanned incidents and scheduled events, so visitors should check facility alerts, notices, the event calendar, visit schedule calendar, and visitor guidelines. DOC prison visits generally require approval and scheduling concepts that are separate from county jail roster searches.

IMU visit length depends on level. The research lists level 1 as one two-hour visit per week, level 2 as one three-hour visit per week, and level 3 as four hours once per week or two hours twice per week. Maximum-custody IMU-South may have visits seven days per week, first-come based on scheduling. Because DOC can change operations due to incidents or events, current WSP alerts matter more than a copied schedule.

Mail, Phone, and Money at Washington State Penitentiary

DOC family-support rules apply to people incarcerated at WSP. The research specifically identifies DOC's send-money page, which says Western Union can be used online, by phone, or in person, and that funds go to the incarcerated person's Spendable sub-account. Users need to select Washington Dept Corrections and have identifying information ready. This is different from county jail deposits through Access Corrections and the jail lobby kiosk.

Do not send county jail deposits to a state prisoner. Walla Walla County Corrections Department uses Access Corrections and jail-specific vendors; Washington State Penitentiary uses DOC family-support processes. Always confirm the person's DOC Number and current location before sending funds, mail, or visit requests.

Reception and Classification at Washington State Penitentiary

Washington State Penitentiary is not where a person is normally booked after a street arrest in Walla Walla County. A local arrest starts at the county jail, then formal charges proceed through District Court or Superior Court. If a sentence results in state-prison custody and the person is transferred to DOC, prison reception, classification, custody level, housing assignment, programs, and facility placement become DOC matters.

That shift changes the lookup. A county roster may show a historical booking number, booking origin, bond table, or charge text. DOC search shows the prison-side identity and location. If a person is not found in the county roster but recently received a state sentence, search DOC by name or DOC number. If a person is listed in DOC but the court case remains active, use Washington Courts search or the court of record for case status.

About Washington State Penitentiary

WSP is one of the defining custody institutions in Walla Walla County, but it serves a statewide sentence population. The DOC fact sheet states that the prison was built in 1886, sits on 540 acres, and includes 240 acres of farmland. The program list is broader than the county jail's published program material and includes law library access, canine training, Sustainable Practice Labs, the 40 Acre Garden for facility and community support, beekeeping, a mental health program, and a Residential Treatment Unit.

The federal and immigration contrast matters because people often search all custody systems at once. Research found no BOP prison or ICE detention facility inside Walla Walla County. A federal sentence should be searched through the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator, which covers federal inmates from 1982 to present and warns that First Step Act sentence review can affect release-date accuracy. ICE ODLS is for immigration detention searches by A-number and country or by name, country of birth, and birth date. Those systems do not replace DOC for WSP. County public-record routing, including Walla Walla County public records, remains separate from state-prison custody records.