As a criminal defense attorney with my office in Olympia, I am regularly visiting clients in the Thurston County Jail. And have been even during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. To anyone who has entered the Jail over the past few months–especially since the masking mandates came down for the public and for workplaces it has been somewhat distressing to see that few inmates and few corrections staff are wearing masks.
Apparently, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office is aware of the public perception, and is making some efforts to address that perception without actually requiring masks in many situations. I obtained a number of emails from the Sheriff’s Office, as well as several policies, that concern the topic of masking in the jail. Feel free to take a look. Color me personally concerned.