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A job listing for Washington's Department of Corrections shows the state government is looking to hire a formerly incarcerated individual for a six-figure salary to help foster an "inclusive culture" at the agency.
"We are looking for teammates who share our vision of public service, committed to an equitable and inclusive culture that fosters and inspires excellence, while promoting innovation, engagement, and safety, leading to better outcomes for our incarcerated population, our agency, and our community," the job listing states under a section reading "duties" for the position of "Director of Person-Centered Services."
"The ideal candidate is a diligent and ambitious individual with lived experience as a [formerly] incarcerated individual," the posting adds.
The job is part of a larger effort in Washington to "destigmatize" criminals, KTTH radio host Jason Rantz reported.
Man in handcuffs. (REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson)
"The position is designed to bring the voice of incarcerated individuals to the department’s practices, and that is why someone with that lived experience is preferred," a DOC spokesperson told "The Jason Rantz Show."
A DOC spokesperson highlighted to Fox News Digital later Thursday that they agency's "first-ever Director of Person-Center Services," Chris Poulos, "was incarcerated for several years in federal prison before turning his life around."
"Chris spent a lot of time visiting prisons, talking with individuals and relaying their concerns to DOC leadership," the spokesperson added.
The job will pay anywhere from $108,636 up to $133,044 a year, in addition to benefits.
If hired, the employee would "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."
A plane flies overhead the King County Correctional Facility in downtown Seattle. (Reuters/Lindsey Wasson)
The job listing does not specify if certain criminal backgrounds would keep a candidate from the job, with the spokesperson telling Rantz the position is open to all former inmates, not matter what crimes they committed.
"There isn’t necessarily a criminal background that would preclude someone from being considered. DOC will ensure that whoever is hired is thoroughly vetted," the DOC spokesperson said.
The Space Needle and Mount Rainier are seen on the skyline of Seattle on Feb. 11, 2017. (REUTERS/Chris Helgren)
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Rantz noted that a person’s felony record does not matter much for the application process anyway, citing the state’s Washington Fair Chance Act. The law took effect back in 2018 and prevents public and private entities from asking applicants about their potential criminal histories until after they are deemed qualified for a job.
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