Not long ago the Washington State Department of Corrections modified its LRA, or Less Restrictive Alternative program to allow sex offenders to be housed outside of traditional prison settings, such as McNeil Island. The revision was done in December of 2021.
Now, there are 26 LRA ‘homes’ in WA state, mostly on the west side
There are such homes in Enumclaw, Edmonds, Tenino and in Tukwila. According to MyNorthwest.com, there are several instances when convicted sex offenders of various levels (1,2, or 3) have been moved to these ‘group’ homes without notifying surrounding neighborhoods.
Now, one of these offenders has escaped custody. Damien Blevins was being housed in Tukwila when on Monday, he apparently cut off his ankle monitoring bracelet and disappeared. He was last seen at the King Street Station in Seattle before removing the court-mandated monitor.
Court documents show Blevins was classified as a violent sexual offender, following a 2017 assault with intent to commit sexual assault. As part of a plea deal the charges were reduced to assault, court documents do not classify him under the state’s Level 1, 2. or 3 configuration. His crime was considered to be assault with sexual motivation.
According to a release from the DOC:
“Blevins was most recently convicted of second-degree assault in 2017 and civilly committed to the Special Commitment Center in 2023. If you see Blevins, do not approach him. Please call 911 with information or DOC headquarters at (360) 480-2696.”
This LRA Program has been met with stiff resistance in many neighborhoods, who do not want sexually dangerous convicts in their area. The program has been criticized by some legislators and members of law enforcement as well.
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