The Oregon State Correctional Institution near Salem, Oregon on Sept. 8, 2020. The prison was one of the prisons evacuated because of wildfires.
Provided / Oregon Department of Corrections
Four Oregon prisons were fully evacuated earlier this month due to wildfires. Accounts from inmates, their lawyers and family members characterize the evacuation conditions as unsafe and unsanitary. Women evacuated from the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility say they were zip-tied together on school buses without access to restrooms, food or medication for many hours. We hear from attorney Tara Herivel, who leads a team of public defenders, and Paula Myers, superintendent of the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
Contact “Think Out Loud®”
If you’d like to comment on any of the topics in this show, or suggest a topic of your own, please get in touch with us on Facebook or Twitter, send an email to thinkoutloud@opb.org, or you can leave a voicemail for us at 503-293-1983. The call-in phone number during the noon hour is 888-665-5865.