Ridgway was big news nationally when he was brought to trial. After all, authorities had been trying to solve the Green River murders for over a decade, so Ridgway’s arrest, trial, and sentencing made him a household name in the Pacific Northwest.
Because of this, Ridgway was easily noticed in the prison system by other inmates. His notoriety made him a target by other inmates, not minimized by the fact that it was possible that family members of some of his victims were incarcerated alongside him. Prison documents later revealed that because he was a target, his days alive were numbered if he were to be left in the general population (via The Seattle Times).
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To spare Ridgway from being attacked and possibly murdered by his fellow inmates, he was placed in restrictive custody. A&E reported that he is most likely still in this type of prison custody today, isolated into a cell by himself most of the day with no interaction with other inmates.
According to the Washington State Department of Corrections, there are more than 150 inmates at the prison in Walla Walla in MAX Custody. While some are placed here for posing substantial risks to other inmates and staff, some get this type of housing to protect them from others. While this at one time meant zero contact with anyone, reforms in this state’s prison system have been made over the years since Ridgway was first incarcerated.
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