Washington Corrections Secretary Resigns

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington state Corrections Secretary Dan Pacholke has resigned from his position Saturday. Pacholke said in his resignation letter that he hoped that his resignation would satisfy "the politicians who would use this tragic event for their political purposes." Pacholke's departure comes a day after the state Senate ousted Transportation Secretary Lynn Peterson. The Department of Corrections and the governor's office disclosed in December that a software coding error led to the early release of up to 3,200 prisoners since 2002 because of miscalculated sentences. At least two deaths have been tied to the early releases. In his letter, Pacholke again apologized for "the tragic consequences" as a result of those errors.