Holly MatkinOlympia, WA – The State of Washington is searching for a convicted felon to fill a high-paying state government job opening with a potential salary that dwarfs the pay currently being offered for state law enforcement and public safety positions.
The felon who is hired to fill the role as the Director of Person-Centered Services for the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) will receive a salary of $109,636 to $133,044 annually, plus benefits, and may work from home or another offsite location within the state, according to the job listing.
Washington State Patrol trooper cadets can expect to collect just half of that when they join the state law enforcement agency.
“Do you have a heart for public service, a knack for strategic planning, and enjoy working in a fast-paced environment?” the posting reads. “If you answered yes, the Washington State Department of Corrections may have the next a career opportunity for you! The Office of the Deputy Secretary is searching for a dynamic individual to utilize their lived experiences as the Director of Person-Centered Services.”
The senior-member leadership position is touted as “an essential addition to the agency.”
“You will serve as a senior member of the agency’s Executive Leadership Team and provide direct oversight of various strategic initiatives with the goal of working to continue to reduce recidivism and improve the reentry of incarcerated adults,” the listing reads.
The “ideal candidate” for the position is someone who is “diligent and ambitious” and who possesses “lived experience as a former incarcerated individual,” according to the job posting.
They cannot be under the jurisdiction of the DOC at the time of application to be considered.
Duties include being a “key member” of the Washington Deputy Secretary’s Leadership Team, directly overseeing “initiatives that align with the Department’s Strategic Goals,” and influencing and structuring initiatives with insight “from a person centered lived experience lens,” among other tasks.
The six-figure position does not require a college degree, but applicants must have previously served time in a state or federal prison facility.
As such, law-abiding citizens do not meet the job qualifications.
The annual salary for the WSP trooper cadet position is just $61,536 and includes a litany of minimum requirements.
Base pay for a trooper with 10 to 15 years on the job is currently slated at $102,444, which is still $7,192 below the starting, low-end range of the DOC Person-Centered Services director spot.
The WSP is also currently looking for a Strategic Planning and Accreditation Manager, which has a starting pay range of $82,000 to $105,000.
The agency has another opening for a Senior Telecommunications Specialist – a position tasked with installing, maintaining, and supporting the agency’s radio and public safety communications systems.
The pay range for that position is $75,120 to $91,524.
An entry-level WSP Communications Officer, described in a job posting as “true first responders” who are “the lifeline for our Troopers,” can expect to start out at just $50,148 to $67,263.
In an effort to avoid “lessening of public confidence in the ability of the WSP to perform its mission” and to “equate with the high ethical standards expected by the public of law enforcement,” communications officer applicants are also prohibited from having any felony convictions.
Sandy Malone
