Ahtanum View Corrections Center was a

convalescent hospital Convalescence is the gradual recovery of health and strength after illness or injury. Details It refers to the later stage of an infectious disease or illness when the patient recovers and returns to previous health, but may continue to be a sou ...

for inmates operated by the

Washington State Department of Corrections The Washington State Department of Corrections (WADOC) is a department of the government of the State of Washington. WADOC is responsible for administering adult corrections programs operated by the state. This includes state correctional inst ...

. Located in

Yakima, Washington Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the state's 11th most populous city. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The ...

, the facility was classified as a

minimum security prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...

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 Yakima County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 256,728. The county seat and most populous city is Yakima, Washington, Ya ...

tuberculosis sanitarium and also housed a

work release In prison systems, work release programs allow certain prisoners to go outside the prison and work at a place of employment, returning to prison when their shift is complete. It is granted only to prisoners who are sufficiently trusted or can be su ...

facility with 60 beds. The unisex facility was established to reduce capacity issues at infirmaries at higher-security prisons in a cost-effective manner for lower-risk inmates. 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 A sweat lodge is a low profile hut, typically dome-shaped or oblong, and made with natural materials. The structure is the ''lodge'', and the ceremony performed within the structure may be called by some cultures a purification ceremony or simply ...

was constructed in the courtyard for Native American inmates. 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. The facility closed permanently in February 2010. Most inmates were transferred to other prison infirmaries or to a newly-expanded medical housing unit at

Coyote Ridge Corrections Center Coyote Ridge Corrections Center is a medium security prison located in Connell, Washington. Coyote Ridge is the second largest prison by capacity in the state (the first being the Monroe Correctional Complex at 3,100) and is operated by the Wash ...

Connell, Washington Connell () is a city in Franklin County, Washington, Franklin County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. The population was 5,441 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. History Early settlement Prior to 1883, the area known ...

. The 60-bed work release facility adjacent to the convalescent hospital remained open.

References

Prisons in Washington (state) Buildings and structures in Yakima, Washington 1997 establishments in Washington (state) 2010 disestablishments in Washington (state) {{US-prison-stub