Senate panel approves subpoena resolution

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) _ A Senate panel has approved a subpoena resolution that seeks documents related to the erroneous early release of thousands of prisoners in Washington state.

The Senate Law and Justice Committee voted 4-3 Tuesday in support of the resolution that asks the Senate Rules Committee to issue a subpoena for documents from the Department of Corrections and the governor's office related to the software coding error, disclosed Dec. 22, that led to the early release of up to 3,200 prisoners since 2002 due to miscalculated sentences. At least two deaths have been tied to the early releases. The Senate Rules Committee is expected to vote on the resolution Tuesday night.

The Department of Corrections was first alerted to the error _ which started in 2002 _ in December 2012. But a scheduled fix for the program was repeatedly delayed and ultimately, never done.