Oregon prisons cut use of solitary confinement

The practice of using special housing (known to many as solitary confinement) has been the subject of scrutiny because of the harmful impact on incarcerated people, staff and public safety for the community at large, Oregon’s Department of Corrections said Friday in reporting on successful efforts to reduce its use.

In 2015, the department partnered with The Vera Institute of Justice in the Safe Alternatives to Segregation Initiative, a partnership with four other local and state corrections agencies willing to address this difficult issue.

A report presenting highlights of the findings of Vera’s assessment of these systems, and recommendations for ways these systems can reduce their use of restrictive housing and employ safe, effective alternatives was released earlier this month.

Recently, Vera released Rethinking Restrictive Housing, a special online version of that report, now including updates on the impact these reforms had on DOC and the progress made to date.

DOC significantly reduced the men and women in special housing:

During the fourth quarter of 2016, 8.82 percent of total population was in restrictive housing. During the fourth quarter of 2017, 7.72 percent of total population was in restrictive housing. As of April 30, 2018, DOC had 269 vacant special housing beds. Historically these beds have been filled, but DOC has made progress and sustained vacancies.

Generally defined as holding someone in a cell, typically for 22 to 24 hours a day, with minimal human interaction or sensory stimuli, the practice can result in significant physical and psychological damage with negative repercussions that persist well after release, the department said.

“We are committed to both reducing the number of men and women in special housing and the length of time spent in these units in a safe manner for staff and other adults in custody,” DOC Director Colette S. Peters said.

“The department’s two pronged mission requires that we hold offenders accountable and reduce future criminal behavior. Living in special housing for an extended period of time, is counterproductive in our effort to prepare these individuals for reentry into our communities,” Peters added.

“For too long, restrictive housing has been a deeply hidden and misunderstood issue,” said Sara Sullivan, Project Director for Vera’s Safe Alternatives to Segregation Initiative. “We commend these five partner sites for opening their doors to Vera and for welcoming assistance as they tackle this with urgency. Through this work, these corrections agencies have joined the movement towards promoting safety for all those who work and live in jails and prisons, while respecting the dignity and worth of those in their care.”

DOC employs 4,700 staff members at 14 institutions, two community corrections offices and several centralized support facilities throughout the state. The agency is responsible for the care and custody of over 14,700 adults sentenced to more than 12 months of incarceration, and direct or indirect supervision of 31,000 offenders on felony supervision in the community.

DOC said it is recognized nationally among correctional agencies for providing adults in custody with the cognitive, education and job skills needed to become productive citizens when they transition back to their communities.

The Vera Institute of Justice is an independent nonprofit national research and policy organization working with governments to build and improve justice systems that ensure fairness, promote safety, and strengthen communities.