(DRO) was an investigation into the ten identified jail deaths that occurred in the state in 2020. As Oregon鈥檚 disability watchdog group, DRO has a unique authority to obtain confidential records related to disability.
The biggest finding in the report, according to author Liz Reetz, is that nine of the ten people they identified who died last year in Oregon jails had a disability. And while the overall jail population decreased significantly because of custody reductions during the COVID-19 pandemic, she says, the number of jail deaths was higher than in recent years.
鈥淭his is really about thinking through systemic problems and systemic failures that鈥檚 causing this really high rate of death in Oregon,鈥� Reetz says.
DRO works with the Oregon State Sheriff鈥檚 Association on policy recommendations, including issues like improved suicide protocols. Reetz says there are three main policy areas they plan to focus on during Oregon鈥檚 legislative session in hopes of reducing future deaths.
Those priorities include: producing adequate health care standards and effective suicide protocols for jails; strengthening jail oversight; and preventing improper incarceration of people with disabilities by investing in community-based physical and mental health services.
Jackson County Jail Commander Josh Aldrich acknowledges that jail populations have decreased without a similar drop in deaths, but he says their jail undergoes annual oversight from citizen evaluators, the Oregon State Sheriff鈥檚 Association, U.S. Marshals and the federal Bureau of Prisons.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of oversight and I feel like the report doesn鈥檛 give that credit, but again, I know it鈥檚 talking about all the jails,鈥� Aldrich says.
He says their ability to address people with mental illness in Jackson County would be improved with continued crisis intervention training of staff and a more modern facility, like the jail expansion the sheriff鈥檚 office lobbied for in 2020.
Klamath County Sheriff Chris Kaber declined an interview about the report, citing the potential for future litigation surrounding the in-custody death at the Klamath County jail last year.
The DRO report was inspired by , a 2019 investigative series into jail deaths in Washington and Oregon from JPR partners, Oregon Public Broadcasting and the Northwest News Network.
鈥淲e need to be keeping these people safe,鈥� says Reetz with Disability Rights Oregon. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 give up their right to adequate health care just because they ended up in the jail.鈥�
