Washington State Department of Corrections, Washington
End of Watch Saturday, February 11, 2023
Correctional Officer Jay Miller died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 while assigned to the Washington Corrections Center for Women at 9601 Bujacich Road in Gig Harbor.
Officer Miller was a United States Army veteran and had served with the Washington State Department of Corrections for 31 years. He is survived by his three sons.
The Effects of COVID on Law Enforcement
Beginning in early 2020, thousands of law enforcement officers and other first responders throughout the country began to contract COVID-19 during the worldwide pandemic. Due to the nature of their job, law enforcement officers were required to work and interact with the community even as the majority of the country was self-quarantined. As a result, hundreds of officers died from COVID-related illnesses and other complications.
Corrections agencies, in particular, suffered tremendous losses due to the constant and close proximity between the corrections officers and large inmate populations. Since March 2020, ODMP has verified that over 900 law enforcement officers have died as the result of a confirmed or presumed exposure while on duty and continues to work with hundreds of other agencies that have suffered a COVID-related death.
