Deer Ridge prison housing unit placed in isolation over ‘health concerns’

State outlines steps to reduce risk; each inmate to be offered two masks

MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Oregon’s newest state prison, Deer Ridge Correctional Institution east of Madras, has isolated one housing unit of nearly 130 inmates “due to health concerns” but has had no positive cases of the COVID-19 virus, an Oregon Department of Corrections representative said.

Like the 13 other state prisons, Deer Ridge has been on modified operations since March 13, when the system suspended visitors for the first time ever, as well as volunteer services and most contract employees, Sharon Ball, a management assistant at Deer Ridge, told NewsChannel 21.

The housing unit currently in isolation houses 128 men out of the total current Deer Ridge population of about 950, Ball said.

Last Friday, the Department of Corrections announced the first inmate in the state prison system to test positive for COVID-19. It said the positive result came Thursday for an inmate at Santiam Correctional Institution in Salem, who will be moved to a facility with 24-hour nursing care.

Other cases have emerged since - the agency has an updated list to track them online.

Amid serious concerns by by may individuals and families about the close quarters in prisons not designed for social distancing, nearly 10,000 people have signed a petition at Change.org calling on Gov. Kate Brown to "release all medically fragile adults and adults over the age of 60 to parole supervision."

They also want her to direct the release of anyone with an anticipated release date this year, also to parole supervision, among other actions.

"At this time, with the COVID-19 threatening the health and lives of untold numbers of people under your care and control, a current prison sentence in Oregon could turn into a death sentence for many," the petition states.

The mother of an inmate at Deer Ridge said her son told her by phone two cellmates were "really sick" and after they were moved, workers in haz-mat suits came in to clean it.

"They are still letting guys go out and mingle," she said, and staff have been out sick, with no word to the inmates about what is going on.

Here's the information Ball related about Deer Ridge (AIC is an adult in custody):

"Medical has completed their screening of the AICs on that unit, with the finding that no other AIC on the unit is displaying any health concerns. We will continue to isolate this unit from the general population with measures such as feeding on the unit, no shared yard activities and no off-unit activities. Medical will continue to provide all health-related services to the AICs on the unit.

"If an AIC is showing signs and symptoms of influenza or COVID-19, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath, they will be tested.

"As people are tested and test results are returned, DOC will provide updated numbers on the DOC website. Please check our website.

"DOC is collaborating with our local public health officials, coordinating with the OHA, and following the CDC recommendations to prevent the spread COVID-19. DOC is following OHA’s guidance on long-term care facilities and law enforcement recommendations and CDC’s interim guidance on management of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in correctional and detention facilities.   

"Our top priority is safe and secure operations of our facilities for staff and AICs. While DOC facilities were not designed to keep people six feet away from one another, Oregon’s 14 prisons have implemented several social distancing measures:

• We have modified line movements to limit the number of AICs in common areas.
• Chapel seating is measured to maintain social distancing and attendance is limited.
• AICs are staying together by unit.
• Staff have placed blue tape on the ground six feet apart in our common areas, such as, the dining hall and medical services unit, indicating where people should stand in line to maintain social distancing.
• We have limited the number of AICs that can sit at dayroom tables
• We have eliminated group activities in the yards.
• We have implemented the CDC guidelines for handwashing with soap and water as well as appropriate methods for cleaning common surface areas throughout the institution.

"Our partners at Oregon Correctional Enterprises (OCE) are also manufacturing utility masks made of 100% cotton. The mask is designed to reduce the amount of droplets expelled from a person’s cough or sneeze to reduce the spread of potential contagions in the facilities. OCE will produce over 60,000 masks for voluntary use. Adults in custody will be offered two masks. 

"Deer Ridge Correctional Institution (DRCI) is the newest prison in Oregon, it is located four miles east of Madras in central Oregon. The prison comprises a 774-bed minimum-security facility and a 1,228-bed medium-security facility. Construction began in October 2005 and the first minimum-security inmates arrived in September 2007. The medium-security prison was completed in February 2008. 

"This is Oregon’s fourteenth prison. DRCI is situated on 453 acres. The minimum(-security facility) has 185,000 square feet and the medium(-security facility) is 400,000 square feet.