Bracing for a troubling rise in jail deaths, Multnomah County officials laid out a series of reform efforts meant to plug gaps in the system that led to a record number of fatalities last year. Reports of 10 deaths in county jails since 2022—a number surging past the count of the previous seven years—triggered a review by both the Sheriff's Office and Corrections Health. Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell highlighted the gravity of the situation, noting in a statement that “Someone dying in our corrections facilities has a profound impact on the individual’s family, the people housed with them, victims and survivors of their alleged crimes, as well as the staff working in our corrections system,” as reported by Multnomah County.
Causes of death ranged from suicide, natural causes, and notably, fentanyl toxicity. While one case remains open, efforts to rein in the crisis are in full swing. The Sheriff's Office has engaged independent bodies like the Oregon State Police and the National Institute of Corrections for separate appraisals of its operations. Chair Jessica Vega Pederson struck a solemn note while opening the briefing with the county's board, deeming the spike in deaths a community-wide concern and iterating the local government's serious commitment to improvements.
Striving for transparency, Sheriff Morrisey O’Donnell has actively sought external input and is laying the groundwork for a comprehensive project focused on enhancing facility operations and staff protocols. Deputy Chief of Staff Jenny Carver will be spearheading this initiative, featuring targets on equitable and inclusive policy revamps, per the findings from multiple reports.
Some measures are already being implemented, including widening mental health training and upping efforts for contraband detection. “The flood of fentanyl in our community has changed the landscape in an urgent and deadly way — this includes our jail settings,” Morrisey O’Donnell said, per Multnomah County. In tandem, Corrections Health has bolstered its ranks with specialized staff and expanded behavioral health support led by Medical Director Dr. Eleazar Lawson, who reported a 50% uptick in behavioral health assessments since 2021.
The board members weighed in with a mix of acknowledgment and concern, with Commissioner Lori Stegmann extending condolences to the families of those lost. Queries about staffing challenges and substance infiltration in jail brought forth candid discussions about balancing mandatory staff overtime against unsustainable work hours and curbing the flow of deadly drugs like fentanyl into the correctional environment. Amid a concerted push to erase the silo mentality between the Sheriff's Office and Corrections Health, the officials vowed to bridge communication gaps and foster partnership for the safety of those incarcerated, as relayed by Health Department Deputy Director Valdez Bravo and embraced by the whole board.
