Travis Taniguchi - June 2026

In Washington, reentry navigators work with individuals after they leave prison and enter community custody. Navigators refer individuals to supportive services, rehabilitation programs, and potential employers. With funding from the Department of Justice, the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) explored the impact of equipping community reentry navigators with lists of verified service providers. The intent of the verified provider list (VPL) was to improve upon historical practices by creating a provider directory that is more comprehensive, accurate, and up to date. The VPL was implemented in four reentry centers in two counties. Three reentry centers serving three additional counties serve as comparison locations. With approval from WSIPP’s Board of Directors, DOC contracted with WSIPP to conduct an evaluation of the VPL.

In this second and final report, we describe providers on the VPL, characteristics of people assigned to treatment and comparison facilities, engagement with service providers, and differences in recidivism for people assigned to treatment or comparison facilities.

People who were assigned to treatment facilities received more service referrals and received them more quickly. On average, the first referral was over two weeks faster in treatment reentry centers versus comparison reentry centers. However, no statistically significant differences in arrest, conviction, or reincarceration were observed between treatment and comparison group participants, potentially reflecting limited statistical power and a relatively short follow-up period.

Cory Briar - June 2026

Researchers in academic, scientific, and government roles regularly look to research published in peer-reviewed journals to inform their own work. Professionals and employees of government agencies also rely on this research to inform policy and practice. Obtaining access to these articles typically involves subscribing to a combination of individual journals and research databases that span numerous journals.

Washington State employees in research roles share that having electronic access to peer-reviewed academic research is critical to their jobs, both to inform their current research as well as to stay abreast of new findings and methodologies. However, these employees do not consistently have such access. This leads to delays and inefficiencies in the production of state-sponsored research.

We conducted a survey of other states to identify similar access policies, including policies that also provide the general public with access. All but one respondent reported that the state library administers access. States primarily secure access by subscribing to services that offer access to multiple academic journals rather than individual journal subscriptions. Most also have inter-library loan programs to allow users access to materials not accessible through their systems. The costs paid by states to provide research access varied widely between states. Ultimately, the costs and mechanisms for subscribing to journals and databases will depend on the scope of research materials sought, the number of potential users, and sometimes actual usage of the subscribed resources.

Travis Taniguchi, Leah Hardenbergh, Heather Grob - June 2026

The 2025 Washington State Legislature directed WSIPP to develop an inventory of strategies designed to reduce alcohol impaired driving. For this inventory, we reviewed and synthesized evidence on the following strategies: reducing per se blood alcohol content to 0.05 g/dl, sobriety checkpoints, increased law enforcement, financial penalties, and administrative license suspensions.

The accompanying report describes WSIPP’s process for identifying, evaluating, and classifying research evidence, outcomes commonly associated with impaired driving research, and results of meta-analyses and benefit-cost findings. Available evidence suggested that both 0.05 per se BAC and sobriety checkpoints met the criteria to be classified as evidence-based practices. Enforcement for impaired driving and financial penalties for impaired driving had limited evidence of effectiveness, resulting in a null designation. Administrative license suspension was classified as promising because, although research was limited, evidence suggested reductions in fatal crashes.

Amani Rashid, Colin Gibson - May 2026

Emergency medical services (EMS) provide urgent prehospital care and transport. In Washington State, they operate within a highly decentralized system shaped largely by local decisions. This report examines EMS delivery and funding in Washington in the context of national models, analyzes statewide and county-level trends, forecasts demand for EMS services, and identifies regions with prolonged response times (e.g., exceeding 25 minutes). It also outlines approaches for estimating the cost of ensuring adequate EMS preparedness.

The findings highlight that, although EMS licensing and training requirements are relatively standardized, service delivery, funding, and resource availability vary substantially across jurisdictions. There is no widespread reliance on state or federal funding; instead, EMS systems depend heavily on local funding sources and fee-for-service reimbursement. Forecasting results suggest that demands for EMS services will increase over time. Response time analyses highlight persistent geographic disparities, with some regions consistently experiencing prolonged response times—rural regions generally face longer on-scene and transport times, while urban regions face longer hospital offload times.

Travis Taniguchi, Leah Hardenbergh - January 2026

In Washington, people leaving custody after a period of prison confinement may be eligible for rental housing vouchers. The goal of providing housing vouchers is to increase post-incarceration housing stability, which may help reduce recidivism and increase employment. The Washington State Legislature has authorized housing vouchers through several legislative efforts, which have been implemented at different times and vary in eligibility criteria. Generally, people leaving the custody of the Department of Corrections may be eligible for $700 per month in housing vouchers for up to six months.

In 2023, the Washington State Legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) to conduct a study of the impact of vouchers after changes were made to the program. Findings suggested that housing vouchers were associated with improvements in several outcomes. People who received housing vouchers were less likely to experience homelessness, more likely to find employment and earn more money from that employment, and less likely to be rearrested. Longer periods of vouchered housing were associated with larger benefits, and benefits were strongest while someone was actively receiving vouchers. People who received housing vouchers were also more likely to receive other public benefits. A benefit-cost analysis indicated that the benefits of voucher programs outweighed the costs of the program. Each dollar spent on vouchers returned about $1.12 in benefits. These findings should be understood as descriptive and not interpreted as causal.

Morgan Spangler, Micah McFeely, Cory Briar, Liqiang Liu - December 2025

The Puget Sound area has seen significant growth in demand for air travel, putting pressure on current facilities. Forecasts from a recent study predict a substantial expected gap in service for the area. In addition, commercial aviation has a significant impact on the environment. The 2024 Washington State Legislature directed WSIPP to examine the passenger activity and air cargo forecasts in the Puget Sound Regional Council’s study, conduct a review of strategies aimed at reducing air travel demand, and investigate technologies addressing the environmental impacts of air travel.

In our assessment of the forecasts, we find evidence to suggest that both the passenger activity and the air cargo forecast overestimate the actual aviation activity in the Puget Sound area.

In our review of strategies to combat demand for air travel, we find the literature on strategies intended to reduce demand is sparse and often methodologically fraught. The policy changes that may lead to a reduction in demand typically do so by increasing the cost of air travel or limiting the supply. High-speed rail has also been shown to decrease demand in some countries as a substitute for air travel, though none of the papers study this in a U.S. context.

In the review of technologies to combat the environmental impact of air travel, we detail several technologies that have the potential to make air travel less impactful on the environment, including innovative airplane designs, electrification of key pieces in the commercial aviation system, and sustainable aviation fuels. We also discuss challenges to note when considering the feasibility of implementing these technologies in Washington State.

Colin Gibson, Julia Cramer - December 2025

The 2025 Legislature directed WSIPP to review the policies and funding mechanisms adopted by other states to support the implementation of small modular reactors (SMRs). Small modular reactors are nuclear reactors with a generating capacity of approximately 300 megawatts or less, designed with modular technology that enables factory fabrication.

We identified 79 policies in 35 states supporting the implementation of SMRs. We categorized each policy based on the stage of the site development process it targets, and on the type of activity it involves. Information gathering activities include studies on SMR feasibility, siting, inputs, and regulatory reforms. Coordination efforts include multi-state coalitions and collaboration between state agencies to facilitate SMR construction. Regulatory reforms include rules regarding permitting and integration with electricity markets to expedite approval. Financial support includes cost recovery, tax preferences, competitive grants and loans, and direct subsidies.

These policies typically leverage state resources, including the existing nuclear industry and federal research laboratories. They also address state-specific challenges, including utility structures, permitting requirements, and environmental regulations.

Our analysis includes policies that explicitly affect advanced nuclear reactors. As a result, policies that support energy infrastructure more broadly are not included in our analysis.

Rebecca Goodvin, Cory Briar - December 2025

The 2025 Washington State Legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to estimate the potential cost savings to the state if a policy were adopted allowing parents or other legally responsible individuals to become paid caregivers to their minor children with intellectual or developmental disability (I/DD).

In this preliminary report, we provide background on services and policy proposals in Washington. Additionally, we summarize our plans to quantify potential cost savings under a paid parental caregiver policy. Our final report, due November 2026, will present estimates of potential cost savings that could result from a paid parental caregivers policy. Specifically, we will examine the potential for a change in state costs based on families’ use of public benefits, children’s healthcare costs, or children’s out-of-home placements.

Corey Whichard, Micah McFeely - December 2025

During a contact visit, incarcerated individuals meet face-to-face with visitors in a designated area where limited physical contact is allowed. Although past research suggests that participation in contact visits is associated with improved outcomes (e.g., fewer infractions, lower recidivism), there is no published research on contact visits in Washington. We analyzed records from a comprehensive database of all contact visits in Washington prisons between 2008 and 2023 to answer three research questions: (1) Who gets visited? (2) Does visitation impact prison infractions? (3) Does visitation impact recidivism?

We found that about 48% of incarcerated individuals received at least one contact visit during their prison stay. The most powerful predictor of visitation is travel time. Individuals confined in facilities located a short drive from their county of conviction were much more likely to receive visits. We also found that visitation has a complex relationship with whether individuals violate prison rules (i.e., infractions). Visits cause a decrease in violent infractions (e.g., fighting) but an increase in trading infractions (e.g., sharing/loaning items). The risk of receiving a serious infraction dramatically declines during the weeks leading up to a contact visit, increases immediately after the visit, then gradually returns to baseline levels within a few weeks. Finally, we found no evidence that visitation impacts recidivism.

Amani Rashid, Helen Ippolito - September 2025

In November 2012, Washington State voters passed Initiative 502 (I-502), which legalized limited possession, private use, and commercial sales of cannabis for adults. In this study, we explore the relationship between licensed cannabis retail availability in Washington State and healthcare outcomes related to cannabis use disorder (CUD) and mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, bipolar, and psychotic disorders.

Using claims and encounter data on Medicaid enrollees aged 12-64, we find that residence near a cannabis retailer predicts higher rates of CUD, CUD-related hospitalization, and CUD-related inpatient SUD treatment. Furthermore, we find that living near a retailer predicts higher rates of co-occurring CUD and mental health disorder diagnoses. Last, we find that living near a retailer is associated with an increase in the probability of having a mental health disorder diagnosis following a CUD diagnosis. Evidence suggests that impacts are generally largest in neighborhoods with multiple active retailers nearby.