AN ACT Relating to codifying the body scanner program at the department of corrections;
SB 5499 codifies and expands the Washington Department of Corrections’ body scanner program. The bill directs the department to establish a comprehensive body scanner program at the Washington Corrections Center for Women and at a state correctional facility serving male incarcerated individuals, with the stated goals of reducing strip searches, improving human dignity, and creating drug-free correctional facilities. It requires scanners to detect contraband hidden under clothing and within body cavities, meet radiation and safety standards, and be operated only by trained staff.
The bill also sets out operational requirements for screening employees, contractors, visitors, volunteers, and incarcerated individuals entering secure areas. It requires gender-responsive and trauma-informed procedures, alternative search methods for minors, pregnant people, people with disabilities, and others who may be medically vulnerable, and staffing sufficient to respond to positive scans with follow-up searches or dry-cell watch. If a scan suggests substance-related contraband, the incarcerated person must be assessed for substance use disorder and connected to treatment services, including medication-assisted treatment when appropriate. The department must also track scan frequency and outcomes and submit an annual report to the governor and legislature.
The bill adds a new section to Washington law governing the Department of Corrections and formally authorizes continued use of body scanners in specified correctional facilities. It creates statutory duties for the department regarding scanner deployment, staff training, radiation-safety compliance, recordkeeping, reporting, and treatment referrals, while also defining key terms such as contraband, dry cell watch, and substance use disorder treatment services. In practical terms, it affects incarcerated people, visitors, staff, contractors, and volunteers who enter secure correctional areas, and it ties contraband detection to both security enforcement and behavioral health response.
The available voting history suggests broad support for the bill, with the Senate Committee on Human Services voting 5-0 to do pass. The bill’s findings frame the program as a way to reduce contraband, support safety, and preserve dignity by limiting strip searches, which indicates a generally favorable policy posture. No opposing testimony or recorded committee debate was provided, so the overall sentiment appears positive and largely consensus-driven.
The main policy tensions in the bill are between institutional security and individual privacy, dignity, and health protections. Supporters emphasize contraband interdiction, safer facilities, and reduced strip searches, while the bill itself acknowledges the need to limit radiation exposure and use alternative search methods for minors, pregnant people, people with disabilities, and others who may be medically vulnerable. Another point of potential concern is the requirement to distinguish between people with substance use disorder and those transporting substances for others, as well as the disciplinary consequences for staff, contractors, visitors, and volunteers whose scans indicate contraband.