Multnomah County jails are nearing capacity

On October 30, 2024By Karl

MULTNOMAH COUNTY, Ore. (KPTV) – The Multnomah County Sheriff is sounding the alarm that jails are nearing capacity.

It’s the latest concern for law enforcement as they prepare for possible unrest tied to next week’s presidential election.

If the prisons are at capacity, it will lead to the immediate release of people detained in the district.

But the problem is not lack of space to house prisoners. Rather, it is due to lack of personnel and funding.

According to the county’s Emergency Release Plan, jails are required to begin releasing inmates when they reach 95% capacity.

Currently, the budgeted capacity of prisons is 1,130 beds. As of Tuesday, 983 people were in prison, meaning 87% of capacity.

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Multnomah County Commissioners approved funding to address the lack of resources for drug treatment and sobriety centers in the Portland area.

Multnomah County currently has five unused prison dormitories. That’s because Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell said there aren’t enough correctional officers to staff those dormitories and they don’t have the budget to hire someone else.

He says if they open more dormitories, they will have to close other parts of the Sheriff’s Office.

“There is a possibility that we will close the reservation counter,” he said. “So they go hand in hand in terms of being able to be nimble, opening dorms, and not having the funding right now to really respond to this emergency staffing crisis in our system, and it’s been in our system for over a year, a couple of years.”

If the capacity of prisons reaches 95 percent, who will be released?

Even if prisons reach 95 percent capacity, there are many people who will not be eligible for release.

Those ineligible include those facing domestic violence or child abuse, sexual offenses, pose a risk to the public or the victim, or have a history of DUII charges.

To determine who will be released, the Sheriff’s Office will track a scorecard that is part of the Emergency Evacuation Plan.

Only those who score below 100 will be eligible for release. Examples include those charged with nonviolent crimes and misdemeanors.

But not all those who qualify will be released. The Sheriff’s Office will be looking for ways to get back under the 95% capacity limit.

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Mayor Ted Wheeler says the city of Portland is facing a budget crisis as he prepares to hand over power to his successor.

Sheriff Morrisey O’Donnell says releasing even those who are fit could pose a threat to the community and that he does not want to implement the Emergency Evacuation Plan in the first place.

“I do not believe our county should rely on this plan without truly addressing the critical public safety needs of our community through adequate funding, including staffing and resources focused directly on our public safety system,” he said.

He adds that the county is preparing jails in case of unrest on election night.

Although he did not disclose specific details, he said he was working with system partners and neighboring institutions to ensure they have capacity on election night.