investigatewest.org

Washington has few paths to early prison release. Advocates fear Gov. Ferguson has closed off a critical one

He and Joelene had waited nearly a year for news about his commutation petition — a relatively rare form of clemency that, if approved by the governor, would allow his early release from prison. In ...
investigatewest.org

Washington is fighting to limit its duty to protect vulnerable adults

At the same time, Adult Protective Services workers say they’re under growing pressure to close investigations quickly.
investigatewest.org

Northwest Native Nations could lose hundreds of millions in federal funding, report says

Portland State University researchers say nearly half of federal funds allocated to Northwest tribes in 2024 is at risk under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act A new report from Portland State University ...
investigatewest.org

Aspen Ford

Aspen Ford was a Roy W. Howard reporting fellow at InvestigateWest from 2025 to 2026.
investigatewest.org

As in D.C., a fight breaks out in Washington state over who gets access to lawmakers

When the Trump administration announced in February that it would handpick the reporters who get access to the White House — stripping that power from the century-old White House Correspondents’ ...
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Inflation has turned Washington state’s property tax cap into a county budget-killer

For two decades, Franklin County — an agricultural community of about 100,000 in south-central Washington — has been the fastest-growing county in the state. But lately, county leaders have been ...
investigatewest.org

Native American children significantly more likely to be arrested, detained in Washington

Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... Uneven Ground: This is the first installment in a series examining inequities facing Native American youth in Washington’s criminal justice ...
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Victims of trafficking in Idaho face coercion at every turn, both on the streets and inside the justice system

The choice is always the same, though not always explicit: Obey me or go to jail. Jay, a survivor of human trafficking in Boise, said she’s faced this choice from traffickers who want control over her ...
investigatewest.org

WA families are using ‘Joel’s Law’ for involuntary commitments more than ever. Is it working?

Tatiana Leone never leaves her Bremerton apartment without a reusable grocery bag filled with documents detailing her son’s history of mental illness. She doesn’t know when she will run into her son, ...
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An Everett teacher resigned over a relationship with a student. Shoreline Community College hired him months later.

Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... In April 2024, the Mill Creek Police Department launched an investigation into Kevin Kukla, an AP physics teacher at Everett’s Henry M.
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Idaho leaders urged to address systemic failures following prison abuse reports

Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... Editor’s note: “Guarded by Predators” is an investigative series exposing rape and abuse by Idaho’s prison guards and the system that ...
investigatewest.org

In Idaho women’s prisons, guards get away with sexual abuse and victims are blamed

Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... Editor’s note: The article discusses sexual assault. “Guarded by Predators” is a new investigative series exposing rape and abuse by Idaho’s ...