In Washington state correctional facilities, incarcerated people can now call 988 — the 24/7 mental health crisis hotline. The decision closes a significant gap in suicide-prevention strategy: although inmates account for just 1% of all suicides in the state, nearly 40% of those deaths are people with known mental-health issues. According to officials, overdoses and suicides remain the leading causes of unexpected deaths in prisons.
Previously, access to any three-digit numbers, including 911, was prohibited for inmates for safety reasons. The administration feared that emergency lines could be used for false calls that would disrupt staff operations, create chaos, or trigger unnecessary deployment of police and ambulances, posing risks to employees and other inmates. The policy has now been relaxed: through prison phones and tablets, inmates can directly reach 988, where trained counselors are ready to provide support. In some facilities, 911 calls are also allowed, but calls are monitored and limited to genuine threats to life or health. The 988 line preserves confidentiality, but in cases of immediate self-harm risk, specialists may contact prison administration in an emergency.
Tim Leng, director of the Washington State Department of Corrections, called the expanded access to 988 part of a movement for “behavioral health and equity in the corrections system,” and emphasized that every suicide in prison is an irreplaceable loss. Washington was among the first states to launch the three-digit number 988: it began operating in 2021, a year before the national launch. Unlike 911, which is focused on responding to physical threats — fires, crimes, injuries — 988 is intended for mental-health crises: suicidal thoughts, anxiety, substance use crises. When Washington residents call 988, they are immediately connected to local crisis centers, such as Crisis Connections, which allows specially trained counselors or mobile crisis teams to be dispatched rather than armed police, reducing the risk of escalation. The state actively funds the service, making it free and available around the clock.
A national study published in JAMA showed that in the first 2.5 years after the hotline’s launch, suicides among youth aged 15–23 fell by 11% compared with expected levels. However, in 2025 the federal agency SAMHSA closed a specialized support line for LGBTQ+ youth that had been operating in Washington.
Based on: People in WA prisons get access to 988 mental health crisis hotline