Marion County DA Convenes Grand Jury Inquiry Into Oregon State Hospital
- 03/13/26
Salem, OR – March 13, 2026 - Today, Marion County District Attorney Paige Clarkson convened a grand jury to inquire into the conditions and management of the Oregon State Hospital located in Salem, Marion County, Oregon. This inquiry is required under Oregon Revised Statute 132.440. The Marion County District Attorney’s Office conducted a similar inquiry into the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Woodburn last year (final report can be found here).
“Our state’s most crucial facility serving those with mental illness is housed right here in the heart of Salem. The Oregon State Hospital is statutorily responsible for the majority of our state’s criminal justice response to the behavioral health crisis plaguing our communities” stated District Attorney Clarkson. She continued, “Over the last several years, I have become increasingly concerned that the Oregon State Hospital cannot meet the challenge of the moment: appropriately responding to the growing need for intensive, hospital level of care for individuals whose diagnoses require civil commitment, restoration services, or secure levels of treatment for the safety of themselves and the public. We have an obligation to inquire into what is being done with an eye toward what more is needed.”
District Attorney Clarkson is convening this grand jury to inquire into the current operations, capacity challenges, and public safety implications associated with the Oregon State Hospital. The work of the grand jury is expected to take several months and will issue a public report upon completion of their work.
Marion County Senior Deputy District Attorney David Wilson, and Deputy District Attorney Evelyn Centeno will oversee the proceedings. Senior DDA Wilson has significant experience with institution-related cases and oversees Oregon State Hospital prosecutions within the Marion County District Attorney’s Office. DDA Centeno serves as Marion County’s behavioral health prosecutor and has extensive experience working with behavioral health facilities statewide.
Consistent with all matters that come before a grand jury, these proceedings are confidential. No further information will be released prior to the grand jury’s final report. The Marion County District Attorney’s Office anticipates the report will be completed by the end of the year and will be publicly released at that time.
###
Marion County DA Convenes Grand Jury Inquiry Into Oregon State Hospital
- 03/13/26
Salem, OR – March 13, 2026 - Today, Marion County District Attorney Paige Clarkson convened a grand jury to inquire into the conditions and management of the Oregon State Hospital located in Salem, Marion County, Oregon. This inquiry is required under Oregon Revised Statute 132.440. The Marion County District Attorney’s Office conducted a similar inquiry into the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Woodburn last year (final report can be found here).
“Our state’s most crucial facility serving those with mental illness is housed right here in the heart of Salem. The Oregon State Hospital is statutorily responsible for the majority of our state’s criminal justice response to the behavioral health crisis plaguing our communities” stated District Attorney Clarkson. She continued, “Over the last several years, I have become increasingly concerned that the Oregon State Hospital cannot meet the challenge of the moment: appropriately responding to the growing need for intensive, hospital level of care for individuals whose diagnoses require civil commitment, restoration services, or secure levels of treatment for the safety of themselves and the public. We have an obligation to inquire into what is being done with an eye toward what more is needed.”
District Attorney Clarkson is convening this grand jury to inquire into the current operations, capacity challenges, and public safety implications associated with the Oregon State Hospital. The work of the grand jury is expected to take several months and will issue a public report upon completion of their work.
Marion County Senior Deputy District Attorney David Wilson, and Deputy District Attorney Evelyn Centeno will oversee the proceedings. Senior DDA Wilson has significant experience with institution-related cases and oversees Oregon State Hospital prosecutions within the Marion County District Attorney’s Office. DDA Centeno serves as Marion County’s behavioral health prosecutor and has extensive experience working with behavioral health facilities statewide.
Consistent with all matters that come before a grand jury, these proceedings are confidential. No further information will be released prior to the grand jury’s final report. The Marion County District Attorney’s Office anticipates the report will be completed by the end of the year and will be publicly released at that time.
###