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An Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) adult in custody, Kenneth D. McDonald, died April 18, 2019. McDonald was incarcerated at Snake River Correctional Institution (SRCI) in Ontario and passed away in the infirmary while on hospice. As with all in-custody deaths, the Oregon State Police have been notified.
McDonald entered DOC custody on February 4, 2016, from Lane County with an earliest release date of July 2, 2024. McDonald was 69 years old. Next of kin has been notified.
DOC takes all in-custody deaths seriously. The agency is responsible for the care and custody of 14,700 individuals who are incarcerated in 14 institutions across the state. While crime information is public record, DOC elects to disclose only upon request out of respect for any family or victims.
SRCI is a multi-custody prison in Ontario that houses approximately 3,000 adults in custody. SRCI has multiple special housing units including disciplinary segregation, intensive management, infirmary (with hospice) with 24-hour nursing care, and an administrative segregation unit. SRCI participates in prison industries with Oregon Corrections Enterprises including a contact center, laundry, and sign shop. SRCI specializes in incentive housing, specialized housing, individuals with mental health/medical vulnerabilities, education and trades programs, cognitive and parenting programs, and institution work programs. SRCI opened in 1991 and is the largest correctional institution in the state.
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An Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) adult in custody, Tammara Upton, died yesterday morning, April 14, 2019. Upton was incarcerated at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility (CCCF) and passed away in the infirmary while on hospice care. As with all in-custody deaths, the Oregon State Police have been notified.
Upton entered DOC custody on November 4, 1991, from Douglas County with no parole. Upton was 55 years old. Next of kin has been notified. No other details are available at this time.
DOC takes all in-custody deaths seriously. The agency is responsible for the care and custody of 14,900 individuals who are incarcerated in 14 institutions across the state. While crime information is public record, DOC elects to disclose only upon request out of respect for any family or victims.
CCCF is a multi-custody prison located in Wilsonville accommodating 1,260 adults in custody. The prison has cell and dormitory housing, work programs, skills training, treatment programs, health services, religious services, physical plant, a central records unit, and administrative areas. CCCF participates in prison industries with Oregon Corrections Enterprises, including a contact center, auto CAD, and document scanning. In addition, CCCF houses the state’s intake center, which provides intake and evaluation of all individuals committed to state custody by the courts. The intake center houses approximately 400 adults in custody. CCCF’s minimum facility opened in 2001, and the medium facility opened in 2002.
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An Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) adult in custody, Dennis Willian, died yesterday, March 28, 2019. Willian was incarcerated at Two Rivers Correctional Institution (TRCI) in Umatilla and passed away in the Infirmary while on Hospice. As with all in-custody deaths, the Oregon State Police have been notified.
Willian entered DOC custody on July 27, 2010, from Josephine County with an earliest release date of June 8, 2019. Willian was 75 years old. Next of kin has been notified.
DOC takes all in-custody deaths seriously. The agency is responsible for the care and custody of 14,700 individuals who are incarcerated in 14 institutions across the state. While crime information is public record, DOC elects to disclose only upon request out of respect for any family or victims.
TRCI is a multi-custody prison in Umatilla that houses approximately 1,800 adults in custody. TRCI participates in prison industries with Oregon Corrections Enterprises including institution and industrial laundry, mattress manufacturing, and sewing. Other institution work programs include repairing and cleaning of irrigation ditches, maintenance of local baseball fields, and work with local cities and the Hermiston School District. The facility provides a range of correctional programs and services including education, religious services, and behavioral health services. TRCI opened in 2000.
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On April 6, 2019, Coffee Creek Correctional Facility (CCCF) will host their first Out of the Darkness Walk with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). This event is sponsored by CCCF’s Walk in the Light suicide education team. CCCF is the first female facility in the nation to host an Out of the Darkness Walk. It is the third Oregon correctional facility to sponsor and support AFSP efforts to reduce suicide rates in the U.S. and worldwide.
On a global scale, suicide claims 800,000 lives annually. This translates to one person dying every 40 seconds, worldwide. To bring this into a local perspective, correctional staff are often exposed to vicarious or secondary trauma by working with adults in custody who are often highly traumatized themselves. Studies show that the suicide rate among correctional officers is twice as high as other law enforcement officials. The impact of suicide and suicide attempts cannot be measured by the number of deaths alone. It has devastating consequences for the survivors who are left to deal with the aftermath of such an action.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention was established in 1987. As a voluntary health organization, it gives those affected by suicide a nationwide community empowered by research, education, and advocacy to act against this leading cause of death and bring awareness to mental health.
CCCF is currently raising funds for AFSP. Donations can be made on line at: https://afsp.donordrive.com/participant/CoffeeCreekStaff.
CCCF is a multi-custody prison located in Wilsonville accommodating 1,260 adults in custody (AIC). The prison has cell and dormitory housing, work programs, skills training, treatment programs, health services, religious services, physical plant, a central records unit, and administrative areas. CCCF participates in prison industries with Oregon Corrections Enterprises, including a contact center, auto computer-aided design (CAD), and document scanning. In addition, CCCF houses the state’s intake center, which provides intake and evaluation of all individuals committed to state custody by the courts. The intake center houses approximately 400 AICs. CCCF’s minimum facility opened in 2001, and the medium facility opened in 2002.
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Colette S. Peters, Director of the Oregon Department of Corrections (ODOC), recently announced the appointment of Heidi Steward as the agency’s new Deputy Director, effective May 1. Governor Brown approved the appointment yesterday. Ms. Steward will step into this role after the retirement of Deputy Director Brian Belleque, who served ODOC for 36 years.
Ms. Steward is a 23-year ODOC veteran, beginning her career in 1996. Most recently, she served as the Assistant Director of Correctional Services. Steward brings broad, cross-functional experience to the role; before her appointment to Assistant Director, she was the Superintendent of Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, Oregon’s only women’s prison and intake center for men and women. She has also served as Administrator of the Government Efficiencies and Communications Office, Assistant Superintendent of Correctional Rehabilitation, and prior spent many years in the treatment and re-entry arenas of ODOC.
“Ms. Steward has been instrumental in the ongoing positive changes occurring within ODOC for both our team and adults in custody,” stated Director Peters, “I am extremely pleased to have her at my side.”
ODOC 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 14,900 adults sentenced to more than 12 months of incarceration, and direct or indirect supervision of 31,000 offenders on felony supervision in the community. ODOC is recognized nationally among correctional agencies for providing adults in custody with the cognitive, education, and job skills needed to become good neighbors when they transition back to our communities.
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