Executive Director's Message

For the past decade, Oregon Jails have been inspected biennially by experienced Correctional professionals in an effort to improve the operation and management of the facilities and to reinforce and enhance staff professionalism.

The Oregon Jail Standards are the basis for these inspections and are nonbinding guidelines, voluntarily adopted by the Oregon State Sheriffs' Association in 1999 and implemented in 2000. Sheriffs' Offices use the standards to evaluate their jail operation, as jail policy guidelines and as a tool for self inspection. Each county allows inspections of their jail(s) by an inspection team and most contribute staff to teams for inspection of other Oregon jails.

During the inspection process, a jail is inspected by a team of four to five trained inspectors, coordinated by a lead inspector, usually a Jail Commander. The inspection process includes: an introductory meeting of the inspection team with members of the facility being inspected; a thorough tour of the jail; interviews with staff and inmates; inspection of each jail standard file with review of policy and documents intended to support the agency's compliance; and an exit conference, during which the inspection team provides a verbal report of their findings. A formal written inspection report is provided to the sheriff within 30-days of the inspection.

An Oregon Sheriff must endorse a staff member to participate in the inspection process, and those selected must complete a training program. An inspector training program was held this summer in Bend. The Deschutes County Adult Jail was inspected by team leader, Multnomah County Captain Raimond Adgers, and his team representing Sheriff's Offices from Clatsop, Douglas, Lane, Tillamook and Washington Counties. Training was coordinated by Jail Commanders Marie Tyler, Washington County, and Andy Long, Tillamook County. Twenty-one new inspectors received classroom training and hands-on supervised inspection experience over a two-day period. The Deschutes County Adult Jail was deemed in full compliance with all 309 Oregon Jail Standards.

Sheriff Larry Blanton and his Jail staff are commended for hosting the training. The photo on the following page was taken at the conclusion of the inspection and training in Deschutes County.

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