On March 27, 2020, at 10:15 a.m., the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility (CCCF) mailroom received an envelope with an unknown substance. The mailroom area was secured and the administration building evacuated. Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue Hazardous Materials Team, the Oregon State Police, and the Federal Bereau of Investigations were on site to evaluate the powder for any hazardous substances. Seven employees were working in the mailroom, and one has been transported to a local hospital for evaluation.

Every day, thousands of pieces of mail are received at the Department of Corrections’ (DOC) 14 institutions, and each piece is opened and examined. DOC mailroom employees are a critical component of operating safe and secure institutions because they help keep drugs and other contraband out of the state’s prisons. 

This is the third evacuation of the CCCF administration building in recent months. This incident presents an additional challenge to first responders and staff who are working hard to protect CCCF’s employees and incarcerated population from Oregon’s COVID-19 outbreak. 

CCCF is a multi-custody prison located in Wilsonville accommodating approximately 1,200 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.