Washington State Governor Jay Inslee's program to release violent sex predators ran into a delay in Thurston County as activists mobilized in opposition

Yesterday, on January 24th, local Thurston County activists with the help of a few local elected officials managed to stop, at least temporarily the Violent Sexual Predator House scheme which was slated to officially start February 1st.    I had just posted a follow-up video providing more details about Governor Inslee’s Violent Sexual Predator neighborhood release program, and the information about the temporary halt to this facility became known after the video was filmed and launched. 

Some people appreciated Inslee’s program

We will explain how the activists motivated Thurston County staff and elected officials to intervene later in this article.

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However, if you want to know more about this truly bizarre and ludicrous public policy fiasco and how we got to such an absurd place, you can watch the video below, which we published on January 24, 2023:

Keep in mind, local neighbors and activists only had a few weeks to prepare for this crazy facility opening and they were obviously concerned about the fact Governor Inslee was emptying the isolated, secure McNeil Island facility of the current 215 or so Violent Sexual Predators and planning to dump them into various neighborhoods and communities all around Washington State. 

If you want to learn more about this scheme, you can also watch this video which we published last week on our YouTube channel:

Neighbors became activists in South Thurston County in opposition to Supreme Living’s Violent Sex Predator home

Neighbors and Friends Get Organized in Thurston County

Activists were essentially working on four basic tasks simultaneously.  First, they were helping to educate the South Thurston County community, particularly the City of Tenino residents and the surrounding rural neighborhoods (full disclosure – as I mentioned in my first video – I live about 13 minutes or so from this proposed Violent Sexual Predator release home).  As part of this effort they used a Facebook group (linked here), testimony at Thurston County Commission Meetings (see here), and also attendance at a bizarre “meet and greet” hosted by the for profit organization, named “Supreme Living,” planning to make bank on this project (see YouTube video channel linked here where the attendees posted video recordings from that event). 

Secondly, local residents and neighbors spent time reaching out the Thurston County Commissioners on this issue.  Thurston County currently has a three member elected commission government structure, but will soon be expanding to a five member elected commission government structure based on a recent vote (see here).  Two of the three commissioners were strongly opposed to the SVP (Sexual Violent Predators) facility being located in Thurston County.  They were Independent Commissioner Gary Edwards (former Thurston County Sheriff for 20 years – see bio linked here), and also Democrat Commissioner Carolina Mejia (see bio linked here).  The third commissioner Democrat Tye Menser was very lukewarm in his assistance – and repeatedly said “they have to live somewhere” when referring to the violent sex predators.  Despite the weakness of Commissioner Menser on this subject, the other two commissioners were able to overrule his resistance, and their help was instrumental in achieving the recent long delay for this project.

Angela Rinaldo (R) was the person in charge of the Tenino Violent Sex Predator house

Thirdly, the activists were meeting with local legislators and state Senators and asking for their assistance.  As I reference in the videos above, the original enabling legislation supported by Attorney General Bob Ferguson and signed by Governor Jay Inslee originated in the Washington State Senate (2021 – SB 5163 – linked here).  There was general recognition that the legislature couldn’t immediately stop this fiasco, but there is some hope that local residents and concerned neighbors can convince the legislature to start drafting legislation to reverse this policy fiasco.  It might take some time, but the time to start pushing back and fixing the problems is now.  There is a general recognition that since the Democrats are in control of both state legislative branches of government – the state senate and the state legislature,  and this political party openly supports the release of violent sex predators in the community, it might take some time to get legislation passed to actually fix the problem they helped create.

Finally, there is a general recognition that this problem (secretly purchasing and locating VSP houses) is occurring – mostly in secret – throughout Washington State, and local activists want to spread the word everywhere about the importance of opposing this public policy disaster, strive to work hard to protect children and women from becoming victims of these Violent Sexual Predators, and expose the corruption and incompetence behind the actual implementation of this flawed policy.   Most of this is exposing the for profit or “non-profit” organizations who appear to be in a gold rush collecting state tax cash to inflict these programs on small communities.

Sunday’s community organized meeting to oppose releasing Violent Sex Predators in the community was popular at Tenino High School.

How the Violent Sex Predator Neighborhood release project was stopped (for now) in Thurston County

Essentially, the Supreme Living Violent Sexual Predator house can’t be used for this purpose until they actually comply with a variety of land use rules, which they attempted to skirt and ignore from the beginning. The official letter sent to this for-profit Violent Sex Offender housing company is linked here, and it is worth the read. However, the reasons for the county to prevent the place from being occupied essentially come down to three primary problems:

AG Bob Ferguson and Governor Inslee are not happy

1. The Septic System for the house was not designed for commercial use. It was permitted for a three-bedroom home, and this has become a 5 Violent Sex Predator Bed facility with full time crew of two unqualified and inadequately trained “minders” who are employed by Supreme Living to “watch” these long-incarcerated guys. The septic system will need to be upgraded and permitted.

2. The Kitchen in the home was originally intended for a family or homeowner. With the change to a commercial operation like this, the kitchen will need to be upgraded to a commercial kitchen, which will require extensive remodeling and the installation of different appliances and inspections.

3. The Water Supply for the home was an exempt well for a residential home and was not intended to be used commercially in this type of public setting. This will also need to be upgraded to a commercial water supply system and will also need to be inspected and permitted.

If you know anything about Thurston County, the Central Planning programs are bureaucratic, inefficient, and hostile at the best of times. For the first time in a few decades, that reputation might actually help someone in Thurston County. Clearing these hurdles will take months or even years if the property owner is lucky and can find some county employees to bribe.

For now, everyone recognizes this is not a permanent solution to the policy problem which faces our state on this crazy issue, but this is a welcome delay to give the opposition to this fiasco more time to organize, educate, and stop this project from rolling out on a bigger scale across the state.

Washington State Governor Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson along with their allies in the state legislature appear to not really care

We still have a lot more to learn about this program, and I expect to write some more articles about McNeil Island itself – the opportunities that exist there and also to expose the records we expect to receive back from the various state agencies involved in this public project.  However, until then, it is helpful and useful to celebrate the wins as we get them, and this was a win for local activists.  To those who wanted to throw their hands up and surrender because it was a hopeless cause – please remember you can’t always win, but you are far more likely to prevail if you at least try. The future belongs to those who show up.

Activism can take many forms – here is a local neighbor standing in front of Violent Sex Predator house in Thurston County

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Background articles and reference links:

Thurston County Health Department Letter to Supreme Living – January 24, 2023 – stopping (temporarily) the Violent sex Offender home release program.

Direct link to local Facebook Group organized in Thurston County opposing this Violent Sex Offender release scheme

“Supreme Living” for profit company official website

History of McNeil Island (historical society)

2021 Senate Bill 5163, which launched this absurd program

Washington State Department of Health and Human Services

Washington State Governor Inslee official website

Washington State Attorney General official website

Washington State Executive Ethics Board

Washington State Public Disclosure Commission

Washington State Legislative Ethics Board

Video about Governor Inslee being sanctioned by the PDC for breaking the law

12 COMMENTS

  1. Glen, I have a copy of the Contract between DSHS and ‘The Garden House’ owners of the LRA in Enumclaw. Let me know the best way to get that to you.

  2. Morning Glen, yes this is that program. The SP (Stevan James Knapp) was moved onto the property (42717 188th AVE SE Enumclaw, WA. 98022) on or about 26 Jan 2023. The Sheriff has indicated to others that their office was notified in advance but with no information such that they could prepare a proper plan to monitor and release credible information to the public. Those that have spoken to the Sheriff have stated he is very upset with DSHS actions. Ari Hoffman is going to try to get representation at the meeting and our small group is reaching out to all the media outlets for support.

      • Hi Glenn, it’s unfortunate the legislature didn’t first run a trial program with the Sexually Violent Offenders by first allowing them to reside with the Governor and AG and their families for a few years to determine if the program would be a success before moving them unannounced into the State’s communities. If they would have done that there would have been little reason for the public to be in such an uproar over their current actions. I’ll PM you on Facebook.

        • That would have been a great way to start. Maybe trial runs at the Director of DSHS, DOC as well plus the prime sponsor’s of the legislation making this easier to release.

          If you have trouble reaching me through FB, then you can email me using my first name at Wethegoverned.com . Perhaps that will reduce the bots that pick up email address from the comments section.

  3. Glen, the King County Sheriff, DOC personnel, Legislator Stokeberry, Legislator Robertson, King County Representative Reagan Dunn, and others will be at the Wabash Church on February 9th at 7:00pm. Would love to have you there. The address is 18325 SE 384th Street Auburn, Wa. 98092. This is in regard to the Level 3 Sex Offender currently living in unincorporated King County 1/2 mile from my home.

    • Is that the McNeil Island release Violent Sexual Predator designation? I’d be curious to know if your King County Sheriff is as pro-active on this issue as the Thurston County Sheriff has been.

  4. So what is the official JUSTIFICATION for closing down McNeil facility and dumping them on the people throughout the state , Id really like to see Inslee and Ferguson stand before the people and justify this , we know this is intentional, eventually they will simply open all the prisons and let them all lose , but not until we have reached maximum chaos and economic collapse, and maximum invasion at the southern border

  5. I have a complaint about about multiple public servants waring against the Constitution. I have court transcripts and police reports of thease treasonous criminals committing crimes against me a blue collar worker

Comments are closed.