Ahtanum View Corrections Center was a convalescent hospital for inmates operated by the Washington State Department of Corrections. Located in Yakima, Washington, the facility was classified as a minimum security prison with capacity for 120 inmates who required medical assistance or long-term treatment, including age or intense healthcare. It opened in July 1997 at the former Yakima County tuberculosis sanitarium and also housed a work release facility with 60 beds.[1][2]
  Location in Washington | |
| Location | Yakima |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 46°34′8″N 120°35′37″W / 46.56889°N 120.59361°W |
| Status | Closed |
| Security class | Minimum, Assisted Living |
| Capacity | 120 |
| Opened | 1997 |
| Closed | 2010 |
| Managed by | Washington State Department of Corrections (1997–2010) |
| Street address | 2009 South 64th Ave. |
| City | Yakima |
| County | Yakima County |
| State/province | Washington |
| ZIP Code | 98903 |
| Country | United States |
The unisex facility was established to reduce capacity issues at infirmaries at higher-security prisons in a cost-effective manner for lower-risk inmates.[2] The two-story building was purchased by the state government in 1993 and renovated at a cost of $6.5 million. It had dorms instead of cells and outdoor areas that inmates were allowed to freely roam; a private sweat lodge was constructed in the courtyard for Native American inmates.[3] Ahtanum View was one of two facilities proposed for closure in 2009 by the state government due to budget issues and the high per-inmate cost for the facility.[4] The facility closed permanently in February 2010. Most inmates were transferred to other prison infimaries or to a newly-expanded medical housing unit at Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Connell, Washington.[3] The 60-bed work release facility adjacent to the convalescent hospital remained open.[5]
References
edit- ^ Ashton, Linda (February 21, 1999). "Special Prison Facility Helps Aging Convicts Ease Back Into Mainstream". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
- ^ a b Seven, Richard (August 22, 1997). "A one-of-a-kind prison: New state facility is just for elderly, disabled". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
- ^ a b Ward, Leah Beth (February 18, 2010). "Ahtanum View moves with the times". Yakima Herald-Republic. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
- ^ Sullivan, Jennifer (October 14, 2009). "State may close Ahtanum View, prison for the old and infirm". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
- ^ Miller, Ryan (June 15, 2016). "What you should know about the state's work release facilities". Yakima Herald-Republic. p. 1A. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
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