Jim Mayfield - January 2007

Washington State's Dangerous Mentally Ill Offender (DMIO) program, enabled by the 1999 Legislature, identifies mentally ill prisoners who pose a threat to public safety and provides them services and treatment up to five years after their release from prison.

WSIPP and the Washington Institute for Mental Illness Research and Training were directed by the legislature to evaluate the program.

Jim Mayfield - November 2010

In 2009, the Legislature directed the Institute to study and make recommendations regarding disability benefits available to members of Washington State’s Public Employees’, Teachers’, and School Employees’ Retirement Systems (Plans 2/3).

This follow-up report summarizes the findings and recommendations of the 2009 Institute report and describes implementation efforts of the Health Care Authority regarding enhanced education, changes to Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) long-term disability (LTD) products, and their investigation of new LTD products; describes statutory changes and fiscal impacts associated with providing enhanced disability benefits to Plans 2/3 members; and discusses policy advantages and disadvantages for insurance and pension options.

Lucy Berliner, Lisa Miller, Donna Schram, Cheryl Milloy - June 1991

This study identified demographic, offense, and criminal justice system factors that contribute to the decision to grant Washington State's Special Sex Offender Sentencing Alternative (SSOSA) to certain eligible sex offenders and not to others who are eligible. Comparative rates of recidivism (rearrest and reconviction) for those who did and did not receive this sentence option were also analyzed.

Steve Aos, Roxanne Lieb - July 1996

A review of the caseload histories of Washington State's Family Foster Care and Group Care programs. 

Elizabeth Drake - December 2013

The 2013 Legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) to (1) develop definitions for “evidence-based” and “research-based” and (2) create an inventory of evidence-based and research-based programs to be used by the Department of Corrections.

This report contains WSIPP’s definitions as well as an inventory of evidence-based and research-based programs for adult corrections.

Marna Miller, Danielle Fumia, Noa Kay - May 2014

The 2013 Legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) to create, in consultation with the Department of Health and Social Services (DSHS), University of Washington Evidence-Based Practice Institute (EBPI), University of Washington Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute (ADAI), and the Washington Institute for Mental Health Research and Training (WIMHRT), an inventory of evidence-based, research-based, and promising practices. The legislation also directs DSHS to use the inventory to develop a behavioral health improvement strategy and report the strategy to the governor and legislature.

This report describes the inventory of evidence-based, research-based, and promising practices in adult mental health and chemical dependency services.

Cory Briar, Benjamin MacCormack-Gelles - June 2025

The 2022 Legislature directed WSIPP to conduct a study of the needs of farmworkers in Washington state. WSIPP was specifically tasked with interviewing or surveying farmworkers about their experiences in agricultural work in the state, reviewing the research literature on the efficacy of programs and policies to meet farmworker needs, and describing the collaboration between state and federal agencies in delivering services to farmworkers. A preliminary report was published in December of 2023.

This final report presents the results of a survey of 202 farmworkers in the state. Respondents were asked about workplace health and safety, experiences with hours and pay, use of government services, harassment and retaliation, and accessing food, housing, and healthcare. In line with past research at the national level, farmworkers in Washington reported frequently working in heat and smoke and with pesticides. A significant share of respondents also stated challenges with obtain consistent housing and food, and 40% stated that they did not have insurance. Other key takeaways from responses include:

• More than half of respondents said employers do not consistently adjust work to excessive heat or smoke.
• English speakers were more likely to receive safety-related training and equipment.
• Nearly half of farmworkers reported using government services, and 69% of those that did sought help from a community organization or figure.
• 43% of H-2A workers report struggling to find housing and food “every week” despite being guaranteed both by their visa status.
• Having health insurance is associated with greater use of preventative healthcare and less use of emergency services.

State and federal agencies coordinate enforcing policies and delivering programs to farmworkers. Federal agency personnel relayed that Washington is one of the most effective states in providing services and protections to farmworkers. Washington State agency personnel reported good working relationships with staff at other agencies but also communicated that a lack of formal processes for collaboration, such as shared data bases to coordinate responses to complaints and incidents, hampers coordination.

The research literature on policies and programs to help meet farmworker needs emphasizes the importance of state- and community-led initiatives to support the specific regional needs of farmworkers.

Bailey Ingraham, Amani Rashid - June 2023

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 report, we describe the evolution of cannabis-related policy, revenues, and expenditures over the past decade.

We first describe the implementation of I-502 and summarize major cannabis-related policy milestones through the fiscal year 2022. In addition, we detail aspects of the Washington cannabis market structure and regulatory rules and compare components of non-medical cannabis (NMC) legalization nationwide. Second, we describe cannabis-related sales, excise tax revenues, and spending of those revenues over the last decade. In fiscal year 2022, cannabis retailers sold nearly $1.4 billion in cannabis products, and just over half a billion dollars were generated in excise tax revenues. Most of these revenues are transferred to the general fund and state basic health plan trust, and less than 20% goes to state agencies for prevention, healthcare, research, and cannabis industry oversight. Since fiscal year 2016, this distribution of expenditures has not significantly changed, although the total dollar amount of cannabis-related revenue and expenditure has nearly tripled.

Steve Aos - January 2003

This report reviews basic information on Washington’s criminal justice system and the level of crime in the state. The purpose is to provide policymakers with a “big picture” summary of long-term trends and relationships.

Annie Pennucci - January 2007

The 2006 Washington State Legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (Institute) to “hire a meeting facilitator to conduct a series of meetings with a broad group of stakeholders to examine the strengths and weaknesses of educational services available to deaf and hard of hearing children throughout the state.” The legislation further directed the Institute to “develop recommendations that would establish an integrated system of instructional and support programs that would provide deaf and hard of hearing children with the knowledge and skills necessary for them to be successful in their adult lives and the ‘hearing’ world of work.”

This preliminary report summarizes views from stakeholder meetings, focus groups, and interviews conducted between September and December 2006. Stakeholder consultations will continue through March 2007. A final report with recommendations is due June 2007.