Michael Fesser, a longtime Black volunteer who leads the Going Home II reentry sessions at Columbia River Correctional Institution, has been shut out of the prison after he says a corrections lieutenant directed a racial slur at him during a recent meeting. The Oregon Department of Corrections has halted the program while it reviews the complaint. About 20 people gathered outside the northeast Portland facility on April 8 to protest the agency’s move.
What Fesser says and the department response
According to Fesser, Lt. Jack Rowlett used a racial slur when addressing him in a meeting, and three men who were in the room support his account. Rowlett and a union representative deny that happened, and the department says it has opened an investigation. As reported by OregonLive, the dispute led supervisors to restrict Fesser’s access to the facility while officials review his complaint.
Memo shuts down classes during review
An internal memo from superintendent Jaime Zuniga informed staff that the “volunteer, Michael Fesser, is not authorized to provide any services or access the facility at this time,” and prison officials notified volunteers that Going Home II classes would be suspended for the duration of the investigation, according to OregonLive. Agency spokeswoman Amber Campbell confirmed the program is on pause while the department reviews the complaint. Supporters argue the sessions offer rare reentry help for people preparing to leave custody.
Legal moves and staffing history
Rowlett has worked for the corrections department since 2008 and was reassigned to Columbia River last fall after completing a yearlong paid leave that followed an earlier harassment complaint. Court records show he has filed a civil defamation lawsuit against a woman who raised concerns about his conduct, while that woman obtained a temporary stalking order against him. Public records also indicate Rowlett faces a misdemeanor contempt charge in Marion County Circuit Court, with a trial scheduled for next month.
Fesser's background and context
Fesser has led Going Home II at Columbia River since about 2006 and runs a reentry program designed to help people transition out of custody. His past includes a high-profile wrongful-arrest case that ended in a six-figure settlement, as reported by The Washington Post, a piece of his history that supporters point to when defending his work inside prisons.
Legal implications
The combination of a pending criminal contempt charge, ongoing civil litigation and an administrative review by the state’s Department of Public Safety Standards & Training means several different forums will be weighing the same set of facts the agency is still investigating. If the training agency disciplines Rowlett’s certification, or if the criminal case moves forward, those decisions could influence how the prison handles staffing and volunteer access policies.
For now, the department says its review is continuing and it has not set a date for restarting Going Home II. Supporters say they will keep pushing for a more extensive inquiry, and legal advocates argue the case highlights persistent tensions over oversight and race inside Oregon’s prisons.
