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Gov. Brown asks for release of some prison inmates to slow virus spread

In the letter to the director of the DOC, Brown recognized the overwhelming challenge of enforcing social distancing in a prison setting.

Posted: Jun 15, 2020 10:20 AM
Updated: Jun 15, 2020 10:22 AM

PORTLAND, Ore. — Governor Kate Brown requested last week that the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) provide her with a list of current prison inmates that could be released from custody in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Brown has previously refused calls to release inmates in response to the pandemic — but Oregon has seen a rise in new cases, and particularly workplace outbreaks, as many counties began reopening over the past several weeks.

Since the outbreak began, the DOC has reported 174 inmate cases and 49 staff cases of COVID-19. Most of those have been at the maximum-security Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem. At the last weekly report from the Oregon Health Authority, it remained the largest workplace outbreak in the state. One inmate died in custody last month after contracting the virus.

Most of these cases are now considered recovered, but at least 60 remain active.

In the letter DOC director Colette Peters, Brown acknowledged the ongoing challenge of enforcing social distancing in a prison setting.

"While DOC acted quickly to meet the threat presented by COVID-19, there are limits to the department’s ability to implement physical distancing in a correctional setting," Brown said. "Given what we now know about the disease and its pervasiveness in our communities, it is appropriate to release individuals who face significant health challenges should they contract COVID-19."

Brown asked that the DOC begin a "case-by-case" analysis of inmates who are vulnerable to the coronavirus and meet several criteria for possible commutation:

  • Be particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, as identified by DOC medical staff.
  • Not be serving a sentence for a person crime.
  • Have served at least 50% of their sentence.
  • Have a record of good conduct for the last 12 months.
  • Have a suitable housing plan.
  • Have their out-of-custody health care needs assessed and adequately addressed.
  • Not present an unacceptable safety, security, or compliance risk to the community.

An inmate listed as eligible for commutation will have to take a COVID-19 test before they are released. If they have symptoms or test positive for the virus, they'll be considered ineligible until they can be isolated.

"Once an adult in custody no longer shows symptoms and tests negative for COVID-19, they will resume eligibility for commutation," Brown's letter stated.


RELATED: Inmate at Oregon State Penitentiary dies after contracting COVID-19


The DOC will have to notify crime victims of an inmate's release if they are approved for commutation.

On Monday, Democrats in the Oregon legislature released a statement saying that the plan to release inmates stemmed from members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, and had been approved by the Governor earlier this month.

“We are very pleased with this as a first step,” said Representative Janelle Bynum, D-Happy Valley, chair of the House Committee on Judiciary. “These are people with serious medical conditions, and the overly-congested conditions of our prisons can be a death sentence for them. The appropriate humanitarian response would be to release them as soon as possible.”

The Oregon Justice Resource Center said the governor’s decision is long overdue.

“Governor Brown has now recognized what we have been saying for months: COVID-19 poses a serious threat to the health of all who live and work in Oregon’s prisons. Prisons are not an environment where it is possible to achieve the physical distancing needed to reduce the spread of disease unless we reduce the number of people incarcerated,” said Bobbin Singh, executive director of the OJRC.

Oregon Coronavirus Cases

Data is updated nightly.

Confirmed Cases: 8094

Reported Deaths: 202
CountyConfirmedDeaths
Multnomah208769
Marion143241
Washington125820
Clackamas68124
Umatilla4194
Union3201
Lincoln3072
Deschutes1620
Linn1409
Lane1363
Polk13612
Yamhill1138
Klamath1110
Jackson970
Jefferson940
Hood River880
Malheur851
Benton825
Wasco601
Morrow531
Clatsop480
Coos400
Douglas380
Josephine301
Columbia280
Lake130
Crook100
Wallowa80
Curry70
Tillamook70
Baker10
Grant10
Harney10
Sherman10
Gilliam00
Unassigned00
Wheeler00

California Coronavirus Cases

Data is updated nightly.

Confirmed Cases: 210584

Reported Deaths: 5899
CountyConfirmedDeaths
Los Angeles953853285
Riverside15643438
San Diego12837360
Orange12462323
San Bernardino11290248
Imperial604181
Alameda5493130
Fresno447472
Kern434065
Santa Clara3984155
Tulare3705122
San Francisco346849
San Joaquin309352
San Mateo3083106
Santa Barbara271228
Contra Costa268873
Sacramento266666
Ventura233644
Kings231822
Stanislaus200041
Marin174618
Monterey144412
Solano111823
Sonoma10065
Merced82411
Placer61111
San Luis Obispo5081
Yolo45824
Madera4155
Santa Cruz3493
Napa2704
Lassen2200
San Benito2052
El Dorado1580
Sutter1523
Butte1432
Humboldt1294
Nevada1081
Shasta1014
Glenn870
Mendocino760
Tehama621
Yuba611
Del Norte501
Lake450
Mono401
Calaveras320
Inyo271
Siskiyou270
Mariposa231
Tuolumne220
Amador200
Colusa170
Plumas70
Alpine20
Trinity20
Sierra10
Unassigned00
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