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

Gov. Bob Ferguson has rejected everyone the state board recommended for commutation

By: Moe K. Clark

Outlets: InvestigateWest

Published: September 23, 2026

Words: 3,604

Last Updated: 1 month, 2 weeks ago

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Joelene Keen was overjoyed when she checked her phone on May 11 and saw an email from her husband’s lawyer asking them to call him.

She knew her husband, Tomas Keen, wouldn’t see the message until later that night. He was incarcerated at the Airway Heights Corrections Center outside of Spokane, and, like most days, he’d left the prison to lead a wildland firefighting crew clearing trees and brush from fire-prone areas.

He and Joelene had …

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