Prison
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Nearly half of people using opioids in rural areas were recently incarcerated, study shows
Oregon Health & Science University author of national study says jails have an opportunity to treat drug addiction.

After critical report, Oregon Department of Corrections plans changes at women’s prison
Yoga classes, sports bras and more security cameras are coming to Oregon’s only women’s prison.
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Former Portland chief, Multnomah County sheriff picked to run Oregon prisons
Oregon Gov. Tina Koteck named Mike Reese, a longtime leader in Portland-area law enforcement, to serve as the next director of the Oregon Department of Corrections.

As Washington plans to reduce solitary confinement, advocates say reforms are long overdue
Washington's Department of Corrections has unveiled its strategies to reduce the use of isolation in its prisons, but it all relies on whether lawmakers set aside funding to support those changes.

Former Oregon prison nurse receives 30-year sentence for abusing women in custody
Tony Klein was convicted of sexually abusing numerous women while he was a nurse at Oregon's only prison for women.

Inmate sues Oregon corrections agency after gang assaults in prison
The inmate alleges Oregon Department of Corrections officials ignored his status as a former street gang member when they assigned him to housing units with gang members.
Southwest Washington state prison shutting down amid staff concerns over job security, wildfire risks
Washington state officials are set to close the Larch Corrections Center, a minimum-security prison in the southwest corner of the state, on Tuesday.

Oregon corrections officer charged with sexual abuse faced earlier investigation, but DA declined to charge him
Sgt. Levi David Gray, a correctional officer who was charged with sexual misconduct at Oregon’s troubled women’s prison last month, has faced allegations of inappropriate behavior from at least two other women.

Correctional officer at Oregon women’s prison charged with sexual misconduct
A long-time correctional officer at Oregon’s troubled women’s prison faces charges for sexual misconduct. Last month, a former nurse at Coffee Creek was convicted of sexual abuse. A recent legislative report also found the prison is systemically failing women in custody.

Oregon fails to support women in prison, report finds
The Oregon Department of Corrections regularly fails women in custody, according to a new report commissioned by lawmakers that also found “an immediate need for the state” to “invest in the women and staff” at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, Oregon’s lone prison for women.