Dear Goyemor Inslee_.

The time has come for me to submit to you my resignation. It was the highpoint of my career to be asked
to lead this agency. I thank you for trusting me with that responsibility. I hate SEITECI this agency and
this state for 33 years. I am proud to hate worked for and help build what I belieye to be the best
correctional system in the nation.

That said_. no system is eyer perfect. Especially in complete organizations, there are just too many
yariables. What legislators who point to error as an indictment ofleadership fail to recognize is the
magnitude of things that could go wrong in any agency on any day. Errors will occur. The releyant test of
leadership is how it mobilizes in response to error. In 2012. leadership failed in its response to a
sentencing calculation error. As I hate before. I apologize on behalf ofthe agency for the tragic
consequences ofthis error.

IJ?Jhat current leadership discoyered last December was a system failure. A tragic system failure.
Understanding the system failure that occurred will take an earnest self-examination. I hope that in my
short tenure as Secretary I hate better aligned our administratiye and headquarters culture to that which
exists in field operations. a culture which recognizes and responds to disruptors. both small and large. It is
a culture that striyes to constantly improye. that recognizes that failures will occur but is prepared to act
swiftly and decisiyely to respond and adjust.

It is my hope that with this resignation. the politicians who would use this tragic eyent for their political
purposes will hate satisfied their need for blood. The shaming and blaming needs to end. It ezposes
ignorance ofthe complexity ofthe work of state goyernment and it is a grave injustice to the sass staff
who work for this agency.

IJ?Jhat I am certain of_. is that this agency has a strong foundation. The damage that has been done to the
department by this error_. though it will take time_. will make it better ifit is allowed to address this as a
system failure and fire the issues this crisis has exposed.

It has been an honor to serve this agency and this state for more than three decades.

Dan Pacholke. Secretary
IWashington State Department of Corrections