Oregon Jails

Oregon law requires the Sheriff of each county in Oregon to operate a jail to lodge adult pre-trial and sentenced offenders. Jails do much more than simply house prisoners. In most Oregon counties, jail staff are also responsible for inmate admissions court security, transports, rehabilitative programs, and other additional support unit work groups. Many Oregon sheriff’s also run work camps, work crews, work release centers, home detention and in some counties, parole and probation services.

2006 Jail Beds, Admissions, Prison Commitments, Total Crime per 1,000 Population (pdf spreadsheet)

2007 Jail Beds, Admissions, Prison Commitments, Total Crime per 1,000 Population (pdf spreadsheet)

Jail vs. Prison - Is there a difference?

Operating a jail is much different than operating a prison. Admission numbers tell a lot of the story.
An average 200-300 bed jail in Oregon will process between 6,000 and 10,000 inmates throughout the course of a year. A 500-600 bed jail in Oregon will process up to 20,000 inmates per year. With the downsizing and closure of state mental hospitals, many people who would have been treated in a medical setting now inhabit Oregon jails facing a variety of misdemeanor or felony charges. It is a fact that about 20% of all jail inmates suffer from significant mental illness. Additionally, 85% of jail inmates have drug and alcohol addictions or abuse problems and are often initially arrested while under the influence of at least one substance. This makes them a highly volatile group.

Prisons are under the jurisdiction of the Oregon Department of Corrections, a state agency, and provide a different and unique service to the state’s citizens. Prisons house long term sentenced felons. A 500-bed prison will likely see a 200 to 300 inmate turnover during the year, or a total of around 750 inmates. Not only are all of these prisoners sentenced, they arrive from jails or other state agencies, and are generally free from substance use.

Jail Operations

Oregon Sheriff’s operate 31 jail facilities.  On one hand, Multnomah and Lane Counties operate multiple facilities.  On the other hand, several of the smaller counties east of the Cascade Mountains share a single jail facility run by NORCOR, a regional jail in The Dalles that serves Wasco, Hood River, Gilliam and Sherman Counties.  The Warm Springs Tribe participates in OSJCC although their jail facility is not run by a sheriff.  Wallowa and Wheeler Counties do not operate jails.

Oregon jail managers have created a cooperative statewide prisoner shuttle system for efficiency in transporting prisoners among the many facilities. Many jails also staff a transport unit with a handful of deputies to facilitate inmate movement. In many cases, inmates must also be shuttled to the local courthouse, and with the thousands of inmates booked each year, this can become a formidable task. Jails across the state also work cooperatively when dealing with problem inmates, or medical issues, and facilities share discipline information when appropriate.

Rehabilitation

Inmate programs that provide basic life skills, mental health care, and those geared for rehabilitation have grown tremendously in the states’ jails. These programs provide some of the most encouraging statistics relating to jails. A recent jail study was conducted regarding change in criminal behavior based on participation in inmate programs. The study revealed a 50% decrease in the average number of arrests, the average number of felony charges, and the average number of person to person crime convictions. Oregon jails are on the right track.

Link to National Institute of Corrections' "What Works?" literature

Oregon Jail Manager Roster

Oregon Jail Inspections Schedule 2008-09

OSJCC By-Laws

Oregon Transport Association

External Links

American Jail Association

Oregon State Sheriff's Association

Oregon Association of Community
Corrections Directors

Oregon Criminal Justice Association

Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE)