|
The long-shuttered medium security side of Deer Ridge Correctional Institution in Madras may soon see inmates. |
|
Rumors abound that changes may be coming at Deer Ridge Correctional Institution in Madras. The Department of Corrections’ latest inmate population forecast shows the male population increasing to the point where new capacity must be added to the system.
Currently the agency is looking at either adding 100 beds at Shutter Creek Correctional Facility in North Bend or moving the current Deer Ridge minimum inside of the DRCI Medium facility, along with additional incremental expansion at the Madras prison. The DRCI option seems to be the No. 1 choice at this time, although nothing is yet set in stone.
DRCI was built with two "sides," minimum and medium security. The minimum side, which can house 644 inmates, opened in 2007. The medium side has remained mothballed; it can house 1,223 inmates.
Council 75 Corrections Coordinator Tim Woolery says the move at DRCI would be a very small step in the right direction, but come far short of resolving overcrowding problems.
“Swapping DRCI Minimum over to the Medium prison by walking almost 800 inmates across the parking lot and hiring some new positions in order to begin accepting the anticipated additional 200 inmates from the estimated inmate population forecast is a small move in the right direction,” said Woolery. “As an organization representing prison employees we support this action — but it does nothing to solve the ongoing issues in our 13 other prisons which remain overcrowded.”
Woolery notes our union’s longstanding and vocal frustration and objection to the overcrowding of inmates throughout the DOC.
“Even should this proposed change at DRCI occur, there’s no improvement to the increased risks to the safety and security of our other members with having about 1,000 ‘emergency’ beds in the other prisons,” said Woolery. “All of those so-called ‘temporary’ beds need to be eliminated by opening capacity with staffing in both Security and our other professionals in Security Plus.”
Opening the Medium facility at Deer Ridge would require about $9 million in additional DOC funding for start-up and staffing costs. That $9 million would likely be taken out of the budgeted money for the Criminal Justice Reinvestment programs that the counties have been implementing, which Woolery likens to robbing Peter to pay Paul.
“The Legislature needs to adequately fund public safety from beginning to end,” says Woolery. “The 911 call, the law enforcement, fire or ambulance response, the court system, the prisons and lastly parole and probation on the back end.
“We want all of our members to go home safe after their shift and not be injured or forced to work mandatory overtime instead of being with their families.”
Link to the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission’s “Justice Reinvestment” PowerPoint presentation
|