Breaking the Barriers: The Quest to Improve Inmate Welfare in Multnomah County.
In the wake of a series of inmate deaths in the Multnomah jail system last year, county officials are proposing to allocate $200,000 in contingency funds towards initiatives aimed at improving relations between the sheriff’s office and the county’s health department. The goal is to immediately begin efforts to de-silo the two organizations responsible for inmate welfare and build a better working relationship.
The decision to allocate funds for this purpose follows a report by a National Institute of Corrections consultant that highlighted “serious health care and operations issues” in the Multnomah jail system. The report specifically criticized the county health department for failing to share important information with corrections officers.
One recommendation that emerged from the report was the hiring of a “CEO” of jail health services independent of the health department. While this suggestion could still be considered, Dean stated that the sheriff is launching a corrections recommendation project to assess the findings of various reports and take action on the recommendations, which may include exploring a third-party position.
The County Board of Commissioners is set to consider this proposal on May 2, and spokeswoman Sarah Dean stated that their goal is to improve communication and collaboration between the two departments responsible for ensuring inmate welfare.
