SNOQUALMIE, Wash — A defensive Washington Gov. Jay Inslee suggested people shouldn't jump to any conclusions after a group of teens escaped from a Snoqualmie correctional facility, including an adjudicated murderer.
On Thursday, Inslee was asked for a response about the incident at the Echo Glen Children's Center, in which police said five teens assaulted staff, stole keys and drove away in a state-owned fleet vehicle.
One of the teens, a 15-year-old considered the highest risk to public safety, was taken into custody at 1:30 a.m. Thursday in Kent. Two other juvenile suspects were taken into custody in Kent and Kirkland Thursday afternoon. Two other juveniles remain on the run, and the car has not been found.
"It's way too early to make assertions that this has to do with anything with staffing levels and training," said Inslee.
But the union that represents the employees said it had everything to do with a lack of staff, for a facility that includes young offenders who are considered maximum security risks.
"We do know that the failure to provide adequate training, staffing—and ultimately funding—is a recipe for disaster," reads the statement from the Washington Federation of State Employees.
The organization also pointed to a 2018 independent study commissioned by the state, which suggested staffing levels are "not adequate" at facilities run by the Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF).
By one account, Echo Glen only has one employee for every seven kids.
"It's definitely because they're low staffed," said one Echo Glen staffer who spoke to KING 5 anonymously for fears of retribution.
The employee said she'd been attacked three times by kids in her position.
"I got punched in the eye and got a huge black eye," she said of one case.
This isn't the first time there has been an escape from Echo Glen. In a highly publicized case in 2012, several teens made it through the heavily wooded campus before being recaptured. Neighbors at the time complained that there was no alert system in such an event.
The issues within DCYF have been well documented, including a report from the KING 5 Investigators in early 2020 about assaults and fights at another facility in Chehalis.
Still, DCYF said it has made significant improvements at the Echo Glen site over the years. In an email, a spokesperson said there have been more than 30 different changes “over the years,” including the addition of metal detectors and wands, automatic locking front doors and escape backpacks for employees. Several different policies and procedures have been changed as well.
The 15-year-old who was captured is expected to make his first court appearance Friday on charges related to the escape.