BOOTH WHO? - Washington State Digital Archives

in the state’s prisons and several riots. On his watch, there were only two homicides and
no major disturbances. “His countless hours of selfless devotion have led to a very highly
disciplined and safe prison system,” the governor told reporters. After several minutes of
sayonara pleasantries, it was time for Q&A. Adele Ferguson cut to the chase: “Didja get
canned, Amos?” Reed bristled. “It’s time for me to retire and I’ve retired,” he said. “It’s
just that simple. …My relationship with Booth Gardner has been excellent to outstanding.
He’s my friend, he’s my employer… I’m still young and vigorous and could whip most of
the men in this room!” Did he regret the million-dollar cost overrun for the new prison at
Clallam Bay on the Olympic Peninsula? “I left a will leaving that to you to enjoy; to have
and to hold, as the saying goes.” Any advice for his successor, who would be the subject
of a nationwide search? “I wish my successor every good thing that can possibly come. If
I shook hands with him right now, I’d say, ‘Start counting the days because your days are
numbered.’ ” Legislative
relations were not Reed’s
strong suit. He chafed at
being portrayed as a lock-
’em-up-and-throw-awaythe-key
administrator. That
wasn’t a fair appraisal, but
the governor and other
progressives wanted more
emphasis on programs
to fight drug and alcohol
abuse, boost job skills and
create a safe and effective
work-release system.
McDermott said Reed
had outlived his usefulness and Sen. Mike Kreidler, a Democrat from Olympia, asked, “How
much can we afford to spend on prisons at the expense of education, social services and
cleaning up the environment?”
Reed’s successor was 43-year-old Chase Riveland, the director of Colorado’s
Department of Corrections and regarded as a rising star nationally. “He’s part of the new
wave of bright young corrections officials,” said Barry Krisberg, president of the National
Council on Crime and Delinquency. Riveland was a backer of lower-cost alternatives to
incarceration for non-violent criminals. Most inmates were going to be released some
day, he emphasized, so rehabilitation and job skills were the keys to reducing recidivism.
Simultaneously progressive and tough-minded, Riveland proved to be an excellent fit. He
was asked to stay on by Gardner’s successor, Mike Lowry, and headed Corrections for more
than 11 years.
Booth addresses striking woodworkers, who marched to Olympia to protest wage and
benefit cuts proposed by the Weyerhaeuser Co. in July of 1986. Jeff Larsen ©The News
Tribune (Tacoma, WA) 1986 Reprinted with permission.
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