Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States that has been experiencing significant growth in its prison population in recent years. As a result, the state’s correctional system has become a topic of concern for many policymakers and advocates.
With a focus on rehabilitation and reducing recidivism, the state has implemented several initiatives aimed at improving the conditions of its prisons and ensuring that inmates receive the resources they need to successfully re-enter society.
However, despite these efforts, issues such as overcrowding, understaffing, and a lack of access to mental health services continue to be a challenge. This article will provide an overview of the current state of prisons in Oregon and explore some of the ongoing efforts to address these issues.
State Prisons
| Prison Name | Location | Inmate Capacity | Security Levels | Gender | Operator/ Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee Creek Correctional Facility | Wilsonville, Oregon | 1,685 | Multi-custody | Female | Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) |
| Columbia River Correctional Inst. | Portland, Oregon | 595 | Minimum | Male | Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) |
| Deer Ridge Correctional Institution | Madras, Oregon | 2,002 | Minimum/ Medium | Male | Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) |
| Eastern Oregon Correctional Inst. | Pendleton, Oregon | 1,682 | Medium | Male | Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) |
| Oregon State Correctional Inst. | Salem, Oregon | 888 | Medium | Male | Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) |
| Oregon State Penitentiary | Salem, Oregon | 2,018 | Multi-custody | Male | Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) |
| Powder River Correctional Facility | Baker City, OR | 524 | Minimum | Male/Female | Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) |
| Santiam Correctional Institution | Salem, OR | 410 | Minimum | Male/Female | Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) |
| Snake River Correctional Institution | Ontario, OR | 3,000 | Medium/ Minimum | Male/Female | Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) |
| South Fork Forest Camp | Tillamook, OR | 252 | Minimum | Male/Female | Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) |
| Two Rivers Correctional Institution | Umatilla, OR | 1,632 | Minimum/ Medium | Male/Female | Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) |
| Warner Creek Correctional Facility | Lakeview, OR | 425 | Minimum | Male/Female | Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) |
Coffee Creek Correctional Facility
Coffee Creek Correctional Facility is a multi-custody prison that houses all female AICs in the state of Oregon.
The facility offers cell and dormitory housing, work programs, skills training, education, treatment programs, health services, religious services, a physical plant, warehouse space for on-site storage, a central records unit, and administration areas.
Additionally, it serves as the state’s intake center, evaluating all male individuals committed to state custody by the courts.
The minimum-security facility opened in October 2001, while the medium-security facility opened in April 2002. CCCF is located on 108 acres of land and has a total of 508,000 square footage inside the facility.
Columbia River Correctional Institution
Columbia River Correctional Institution (CRCI) is a minimum-security prison located in NE Portland, Oregon, on a 26-acre campus. The facility opened in September 1990 and has 595 male individuals housed in separate dormitory-style housing units.
Approximately 50 individuals participate in a residential alcohol and drug treatment program in a separate living area designed for that purpose. The facility’s focus is on alcohol and drug treatment, work programs, and preparing individuals for reentry into the community.
One of the 50-bed dormitories has been designated as a residential treatment center for adults in custody involved in an intensive six-month alcohol and drug treatment program. The programs offered by the facility focus on developing work habits and skills necessary to obtain and maintain employment.
Deer Ridge Correctional Institution
Deer Ridge Correctional Institution (DRCI) is a correctional facility located in central Oregon, just four miles east of Madras. This prison is the newest addition to the state’s correctional system, and it comprises two facilities: a 774-bed minimum-security facility and a 1,228-bed medium-security facility.
Construction of the prison began in October 2005, and the first minimum-security AICs arrived in September 2007. The medium-security facility was completed in February 2008. With a total area of 453 acres, DRCI is Oregon’s fourteenth prison.
The minimum-security facility is spread over 185,000 square feet, while the medium-security facility is spread over 400,000 square feet.
Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution
Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution (EOCI) is a medium-security adult male correctional facility that was authorized in 1983 by the 62nd Legislative Assembly. Previously a state mental hospital, the institution received its first adults in custody on June 24, 1985.
With 19 separate general population housing units, the facility has a capacity of 1682 beds, making it Pendleton’s fourth largest employer. EOCI offers education services through a contract with Blue Mountain Community College, with approximately 1,000 AICs having received either a GED certificate or an adult high school diploma since the program began in 1986.
The institution also offers college-transfer classes through the New Directions Education Project, which was formed in 1999. Additionally, EOCI is the state’s only facility where the internationally-recognized Prison Blues line of blue denim clothing is manufactured.
The prison also operates a garment factory and a commercial laundry that cleans clothing and other items for EOCI and Snake River Correctional Institution, as well as several local organizations.
Oregon State Correctional Institution
Oregon State Correctional Institution (OSCI) is a medium-security prison located three miles east of Salem. Established by the 1955 Legislature, OSCI became fully operational on June 1, 1959.
The facility houses 888 adult inmates convicted of felony offenses from all counties in Oregon, including those remanded from juvenile facilities. Of the 888 beds, 350 are designated as Transitional Release beds, which increases the demand for transition and release services.
OSCI offers rehabilitation opportunities through work, education, and self-improvement programs and is responsible for preparing inmates for release into the community.
Additionally, the prison has a dormitory-style special housing unit for physically or medically challenged individuals who do not require hospitalization or confinement in an infirmary. As many as 300 inmates are within one year of release back into the community.
Oregon State Penitentiary
Oregon State Penitentiary is the oldest prison in Oregon, having been established in 1851. It is currently a multi-custody institution, offering specialized housing units for different types of offenders.
The prison has been relocated three times, with the current location being in Salem, Oregon. The reinforced concrete wall surrounding the 26-acre site is an average of 25 feet in height.
OSP has a variety of housing options, including large cell blocks with double cells for most inmates, as well as special housing units for disciplinary segregation, psychiatric problems, and those who have received a death sentence.
The 233-bed Special Management Housing unit provides housing and control for male inmates who pose a significant threat to the general population in all department facilities. Additionally, the prison has a full-service infirmary to provide medical care for its inmates.
Powder River Correctional Facility
Powder River Correctional Facility (PRCF) is a minimum-security prison located in Baker City, Oregon. This facility opened its doors on November 9, 1989, and has since served as a transition and re-entry facility for the Department of Corrections (DOC).
The primary purpose of PRCF is to provide alcohol and drug treatment to program-eligible individuals preparing to transition back into their communities.
PRCF’s New Directions Alternative Incarceration Program (AIP) is a 128-bed treatment program designed to provide a highly regimented program for qualifying individuals. This program includes a daily routine of 14-16 hours of treatment, education, and transition classes in conjunction with institution and/or community-based work.
Santiam Correctional Institution
Santiam Correctional Institution (SCI) in Oregon has a long history dating back to 1946 when it was constructed as an annex to the Oregon State Hospital for mental health patients. In 1977, it was repurposed as a minimum custody pre-release center to help alleviate overcrowding at other nearby facilities.
Over the years, the institution evolved and was finally named SCI in 1990. Today, it is administratively joined with Mill Creek Correctional Facility under one superintendent.
SCI offers a full range of jobs and programs to the individuals it houses, including labor-type jobs and various cognitive, substance abuse, transition, and education programs. The prison complex sits on a 12-acre parcel with nine acres inside the perimeter fence.
Snake River Correctional Institution
Snake River Correctional Institution (SRCI) is the largest prison in Oregon, with a total of 3,000 beds. However, only 576 medium security and 72 minimum security beds were constructed in Phase I when it opened in August 1991.
In 1994, the remaining 2,352 beds were constructed at a cost of $175 million, making it the largest state general-funded public works project in state history. SRCI has several unique features, including decentralized inmate services and a comprehensive corridor system connecting housing, program, and work areas.
The prison has 2,336 medium-security beds, 154 minimum-security beds, and 510 Special Housing beds, including Administrative Segregation, Disciplinary Segregation, Intensive Management, and Infirmary. Many SRCI inmates work in construction activities.
South Fork Forest Camp
South Fork Forest Camp is a minimum-security work camp located in Oregon, approximately 28 miles east of Tillamook. Established in 1951, it is a satellite facility of Columbia River Correctional Institution and is managed jointly with the Oregon Department of Forestry.
The camp provides support for up to 15 ODF crews and one Oregon Parks and Recreation Department contract crew, as well as maintenance for campgrounds, day-use areas, and trailheads within the Northwest Oregon Area. A major part of SFFC’s mission is to supply a ready workforce to combat forest or wildfires throughout the state.
The first buildings at the camp were quite primitive, with tar-paper walls, no plumbing or heat, and offered little comfort for the AICs initially assigned to the camp. Today, the cabins are constructed out of wood, fully plumbed, and have showers and forced-air gas heat.
Two Rivers Correctional Institution
Two Rivers Correctional Institution, located in Umatilla, Oregon, was established in 2000 and has a capacity of 1,632 inmates. The facility was designed to provide as many services as possible in the housing units to lower costs and minimize inmate movements.
Each housing unit has an outdoor activity yard, and many programs are delivered to the housing units. TRCI focuses on adult basic education, GEDs, and cognitive programs that encourage self-change.
Inmates also participate in work activities such as institution maintenance, commercial laundry, and community service projects. TRCI’s minimum-custody inmate work crews are sent out daily for other work projects, primarily contracted to government agencies. Additionally, AIC crews work on landscaping projects on prison property.
Warner Creek Correctional Facility
Warner Creek Correctional Facility (WCCF) is a minimum-security prison located near Lakeview, Oregon. It was established in 2005 and has since been recognized for its energy-efficient design, receiving the State Energy Efficiency Design award in 2008.
One of the most notable features of WCCF is its use of geothermal energy, which provides 100% of the facility’s hot water. As a minimum-security facility, WCCF houses inmates who are considered low-risk and are nearing the end of their sentences.
The facility is designed to provide a safe and secure environment for inmates while also offering various programs and services to help them successfully reintegrate into society upon release.
Overall, Warner Creek Correctional Facility plays an important role in Oregon’s correctional system, providing a secure and efficient environment for inmates to serve their sentences.
Youth correctional facilities
| Prison Name | Location | Inmate Capacity | Security Level | Gender | Operator/ Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Oregon Youth Correctional Facility | Burns, OR | 50 | Medium | Male | Oregon Youth Authority |
| MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility | Woodburn, OR | 271 | Medium | Male | Oregon Youth Authority |
| Oak Creek Youth Correctional Facility | Albany, OR | 50 | Medium | Male | Oregon Youth Authority |
| Rogue Valley Youth Correctional Facility | Grants Pass, OR | 100 | Medium | Male | Oregon Youth Authority |
| Tillamook Youth Correctional Facility | Tillamook County, OR | 50 | Medium | Male | Oregon Youth Authority |
Eastern Oregon Youth Correctional Facility
Eastern Oregon Youth Correctional Facility is a state-run facility located in Burns, Oregon. The facility primarily houses up to 50 incarcerated youth who have been convicted of various crimes and are serving time for their offenses.
The facility is designed to provide a safe and secure environment for these young offenders while also offering educational and vocational programs to help them develop the skills they need to successfully reintegrate into society upon release.
Along with its educational programs, Eastern Oregon Youth Correctional Facility also offers mental health services to assist youth in dealing with the emotional and psychological challenges of incarceration.
Overall, the facility is committed to providing a structured, supportive environment that encourages personal growth and positive change among its residents.
MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility
MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility is a correctional center located in Woodburn, Oregon that houses male youth. This facility has the capacity to house up to 271 youth and is home to various units including male intake units, parole violation units, general population units, and several units for youth with specialized programming needs.
MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility is operated by the Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) and is one of the largest youth correctional facilities in the state. The center aims to provide rehabilitation, education, and counseling services to help youth offenders turn their lives around and reintegrate into society.
With a focus on restorative justice, MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility strives to provide a safe and supportive environment for youths to learn and grow.
Oak Creek Youth Correctional Facility
Oak Creek Youth Correctional Facility, located in Albany, Oregon, is a correctional facility that houses up to 50 youths. It provides a secure and structured environment for young people who have been convicted of criminal offenses.
The facility offers a variety of educational and vocational programs to help them develop the skills they need to succeed in life after their release. The staff at Oak Creek work to create a safe and supportive environment that fosters positive growth and development.
Additionally, the facility provides mental health and substance abuse treatment to help address the underlying issues that may have contributed to their criminal behavior. Oak Creek Youth Correctional Facility is committed to helping young people turn their lives around and become productive members of society.
Rogue Valley Youth Correctional Facility
Rogue Valley Youth Correctional Facility is located in Grants Pass, Oregon, and is the second-largest facility operated by the Oregon Youth Authority. It serves as a residential correctional center for up to 100 youth offenders who are between the ages of 12 and 25.
The facility is designed to provide a safe and secure environment for these young people while also offering educational and vocational programs to help them develop the skills they need to succeed once they are released.
Rogue Valley Youth Correctional Facility places a strong emphasis on rehabilitation and aims to help youth offenders turn their lives around and become productive members of society.
Tillamook Youth Correctional Facility
Tillamook Youth Correctional Facility is a correctional facility located in Tillamook County, Oregon. This facility is designed to house up to 50 juvenile offenders between the ages of 12 and 25.
The facility is operated by the Oregon Youth Authority and provides a range of services to help rehabilitate young offenders. These services include educational programs, vocational training, and mental health counseling.
The facility has a staff of trained professionals who work to ensure the safety and well-being of the youths in their care. The facility is designed to be secure and has a range of security measures in place to prevent escapes or other incidents.
Federal Prisons
| Prison Name | Location | Inmate Capacity | Security Level | Gender | Operator/ Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Correctional Institution, Sheridan | Sheridan | 2000 | Medium | Male | Federal Bureau of Prisons, United States DOJ |
Federal Correctional Institution, Sheridan
The Federal Correctional Institution, Sheridan is a medium-security federal prison for male inmates located in Sheridan, Oregon. It has been operational since 1989 and is under the supervision of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice.
The facility has the capacity to hold 2000 inmates and includes a detention center housing male offenders, as well as a minimum-security satellite prison camp for male offenders. FCI Sheridan is one of several prisons in Oregon that serves as a correctional facility for male inmates.
The prison is located in the northwestern part of Oregon and is designed to provide a safe and secure environment for inmates while also offering a range of rehabilitation programs to help them successfully reintegrate into society upon release.
Sources:
https://www.oregon.gov/doc/about/pages/prison-locations.aspx
https://www.oregon.gov/oya/maclaren/Pages/default.aspx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Correctional_Institution,_Sheridan