Nearly three years after the death of 24-year-old Ivan Howtopat inside the Klickitat County Jail, an outside inspection says the small Goldendale lockup is slowly pulling itself out of crisis under new leadership. County commissioners have already yanked day-to-day control from the sheriff’s office and set up a separate Department of Corrections following a wrongful-death settlement with Howtopat’s family. Even so, the March review and local watchdogs say staffing levels and medical care are still not where they need to be.
State inspection praises leadership, flags work to do
The March 12, 2026 operational inspection, written by consultant Jeremy Wise for the Washington State Department of Corrections, found the facility “operates as a professional, organized, and secure detention facility,” according to the report from the Washington State Department of Corrections. Inspectors pointed to clearer leadership and upgraded training as signs of progress, while also urging the county to beef up relief staffing and tighten medical oversight. The findings were based on direct observation in the jail, interviews with staff and a policy review.
Settlement drove the independent review
The inspection was required under the settlement that followed Howtopat’s death. The county agreed to pay his family $2 million and adopt new policies that include stronger screening and suicide-prevention training, according to OPB. Reporting by Columbia Gorge News places Howtopat’s death in May 2023 and notes that the family’s lawsuit helped push county commissioners to take direct operational control of the jail.
County forms Department of Corrections and names a new administrator
In December 2024, commissioners formally pulled day-to-day management of the jail out of the sheriff’s office and created a standalone Department of Corrections. The county directory now lists Bill Frantz as jail administrator, according to Klickitat County. Frantz, who has years of corrections experience, has said his priorities include reestablishing basic routine, improving training and keeping supervision humane rather than purely punitive.
New systems and tighter routines on the floor
Under Frantz, the jail has added heartbeat monitoring systems in observation cells and is planning a more private intake area so people coming into custody feel safer disclosing medical and mental health concerns, as reported by KUOW. That same reporting also highlighted how thin operations can get. On one recent day, just two officers were responsible for 17 inmates, a staffing ratio that leaves little margin for error.
Medical care still lagging, audit says
The inspection found that medical services are currently handled by a physician’s assistant who conducts rounds at least twice a month and concluded that this level of onsite care “is generally below what is considered best practice” in confinement settings, according to the Washington State Department of Corrections. County officials say recruiting local medical providers has been difficult. Coverage in Columbia Gorge News reports the county is looking at telehealth and programs to start medications for opioid use disorder as short-term ways to expand access.
Legal and policy fallout
The settlement requires the county to follow specific policy changes and submit to regular inspections, and attorneys for the Howtopat family say they will be watching to make sure those promises are kept, according to OPB. The case has also become part of a much bigger statewide conversation. A 2023 Joint Legislative Task Force called for an independent jail-oversight agency and mandatory jail standards, but lawmakers have not yet turned those recommendations into law, as reported by InvestigateWest.
What comes next
Melissa Howtopat said she feels “a little bit better about the safety of people in jail now,” while still pressing for stronger staffing and enforceable standards, according to KUOW. County officials say they intend to follow the settlement terms and track progress through future inspections, additional training and documented operational changes at the Department of Corrections.
