A Marion County grand jury report released this week detailed “cascading failures” at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility, Oregon’s largest youth prison, citing systemic issues ranging from security flaws to unaddressed violence.
Here are the five key findings from the report:
1. ‘Cascading failures’ overwhelm an ill-defined mission
The grand jury concluded MacLaren is struggling because it is asked to fill too many roles, resulting in an “inability to fulfill any of them well.” Youth sentenced to MacLaren may remain there until their 25th birthday before they can be transferred to an adult prison to finish out a prison term. That means 60% of its population is over 18, and the facility is often unable to meet the significant mental health needs of those incarcerated there.
2. Contraband problem is ‘out of control’
Contraband including drugs, cellphones, and improvised weapons is rampant due to inadequate supervision and security vulnerabilities. The report notes that outsiders have thrown contraband-loaded objects over the single chain-link fence, and the facility lacks funding for additional fencing.
3. Staffing shortages and legislative changes create volatility
The facility suffers from high staff turnover and burnout from mandatory overtime, with about half of all staff having less than five years of experience. Legislative changes from 2019 resulted in shorter sentences, giving the current population fewer incentives to comply with rules and “adding to the volatility for both youth and staff,” the report said.
4. Gang violence is unaddressed and discipline is ineffective
The report found it “concerning” that officials do not track whether fights are gang-related and lack specific programs to address gang activity. The grand jury also questioned the effectiveness of the prison’s “developmental model” for discipline and called for stronger sanctions for misconduct.
5. Uninvestigated complaints, including about sexual abuse, have piled up
The investigation was spurred by a massive backlog of unaddressed complaints, including multiple reports of sexual abuse and misconduct. A former chief investigator had failed to review an estimated 3,000 complaints, leading to the firing of the Oregon Youth Authority director and more than 70 pending federal lawsuits from individuals alleging abuse…