Steven Craig Johnson Left to right: Oregon Department of Corrections 1990s photo on wanted poster July 2024 Bibb County Sheriff's Office

An Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) adult in custody who fled from a work crew in 1994 is back in custody. Steven Craig Johnson fled from a work crew at the Mill Creek Correctional Facility (MCCF) in Salem on November 29, 1994. 

Johnson was arrested in Macon, Georgia by the U.S. Marshals Service, Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (USMS SERFTF) on July 16, 2024. He was booked into the Bibb County Jail and is awaiting extradition back to Oregon. 

According to the USMS Steven Craig Johnson aka “William Cox,” 70, was taken into custody by the USMS SERFTF on July 16, 2024, at approximately 2:00 p.m. at an apartment complex located at 2087 Vineville Ave. in Macon. Johnson had been a resident there and living under the alias of William Cox since 2011. Johnson was wanted on an Oregon arrest warrant for escape. A copy of the USMS press release is attached. A copy of the DOC wanted poster is also attached.

MCCF was a minimum-security prison located five miles southeast of Salem on 2,089 acres. The facility was unfenced and housed approximately 290 adults in custody who were within four years of release. MCCF opened in 1929 as the Farm Annex of the Oregon State Penitentiary. The prison closed June 30, 2021, by order of Governor Kate Brown.

DOC is responsible for the care and custody of approximately 12,000 individuals who are incarcerated in 12 institutions across the state. 

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EOCI is a multi-custody prison located in Pendleton that houses over 1,550 adults in custody. The institution is known for its Oregon Corrections Enterprises industries, including a garment factory that produces Prison Blues©, whose products are sold in and outside the United States. Other industries are its embroidery and laundry facilities. EOCI provides a range of correctional programs and services including education, drug and alcohol treatment, mental health treatment, religious services, and work crews. The buildings that make up EOCI were constructed in 1912 and 1913 and were originally used as a state mental hospital. After two years of renovation, EOCI received its first occupants in June 1985.

The Oregon Department of Corrections is responsible for the care and custody of approximately 12,000 men and women who are incarcerated in 12 institutions across the state. 

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An Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) adult in custody, Corey Allen Sanders, died July 9, 2024. Sanders was incarcerated at Snake River Correctional Institution (SRCI) in Ontario and passed away at the institution. As with all in-custody deaths, the Oregon State Police have been notified, and the State Medical Examiner will determine cause of death.

Sanders entered DOC custody on September 19, 2022, from Yamhill County with an earliest release date of November 8, 2033. Sanders was 49 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 approximately 12,000 individuals who are incarcerated in 12 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, Benjamin Leland Bucknell, died the afternoon of July 1, 2024. Bucknell was incarcerated at Oregon State Correctional Institution (OSCI) in Salem and passed away at a local hospital. As with all in-custody deaths, the Oregon State Police have been notified, and the State Medical Examiner will determine cause of death.

Bucknell entered DOC custody on July 19, 2019, from Benton County with an earliest release date of June 30, 2034. Bucknell was 29 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 approximately 12,000 men and women who are incarcerated in 12 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.

OSCI is a multi-custody prison located in Salem that houses approximately 870 adults in custody. It provides a range of correctional services and programs including education, drug and alcohol treatment, mental health treatment, religious services, work crews, and transition planning. OSCI participates in prison industries with Oregon Corrections Enterprises, including a print shop and a contact center. OSCI was established by action of the 1955 Legislature and became fully operational on June 1, 1959.

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