Prison employees to protest outside penitentiary

WALLA WALLA, Wash. (AP) — Employees of the State Penitentiary at Walla Walla say there are alternatives to prison overcrowding that would be better than shipping inmates out of state.

KONA Radio reports a Thursday protest outside the prison was planned to bring attention to safety and money issues in the state prison system.

The state's 12 prisons are at capacity and some worry about associated safety issues.

John Scearcy with Teamsters local 117 says there are other solutions to avoid the cost of shipping inmates out of state.