Audit finds old tech, maintenance backlogs, staffing shortages plague Oregon prisons

“Oregon’s adults in custody are in the care of the state, and it is the state’s responsibility to ensure they are safe and healthy as they are held accountable for their actions, go through rehabilitation, and prepare to return to society,” Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read said in a Wednesday statement. “This audit and our recommendations will help the Department of Corrections fulfill its responsibilities.”

Auditors found poorly ventilated facilities that have led to unsafe conditions for incarcerated Oregonians and almost $861 million in deferred maintenance funding for operations to upgrade facilities. Most of Oregon’s prisons are at least 20 years old, and all but two of them were rated as “poor” in a 2023 rating conducted by an external engineering firm, according to auditors. 

“Many of DOC’s facilities, including the Oregon State Penitentiary — built without modern standards — are creating uncomfortable and sometimes life-threatening conditions,” the audit reads. “Most custody facilities are rated in poor condition and face a substantial and rapidly growing deferred maintenance backlog; dorms and cells in some locations fail to meet national standards for natural light, temperature, accessibility, and design for adults with disabilities.”

State analysts also took aim at the Oregon Way initiative, the agency’s longstanding prison culture improvement effort, which took inspiration from a 2017 trip state officials made to Norwegian prisons to learn about their rehabilitation efforts. 

The initiative prioritizes engagement with incarcerated people and reduced reliance on isolation, but the audit argues that it is not being carried out effectively due to mandatory prison staff overtime and burnout.  

The corrections department reported to auditors that it still needs to employ 261 additional security staff to operate without the use of such overtime. Without solving that shortage, the agency is unlikely to be able to support the initiative, according to the audit.

“Given the high stress and demands of corrections work, it’s critical to adopt a holistic and integrated approach to employee well-being, safety, and retention,” the audit reads. “According to DOC, some targeted retention initiatives over the last few years have helped, such as an employee recognition program, wellness initiatives, and leadership development. However, DOC still does not have a comprehensive strategy to address well-being and retention across the 12 facilities.”

Another area of concern for auditors was the corrections department’s technological systems. They pointed to a 1989 legacy software originally built to track prisoners but that is based on a programming language no longer taught in American colleges. The agency has struggled with rising maintenance and licensing costs as a result of its use. 

“DOC’s ability to maintain and upgrade the system has been diminishing, in part because the technicians who developed the system have retired,” auditors wrote. “The risk of a failure, or the inability of the agency to update the system to meet changing laws, policy, or business requirements, is increasing.”

The auditors recommended the department create a plan for moving incarcerated Oregonians out of unsafe facilities, convert unused spaces into areas of rehabilitation, standardize the Oregon Way initiative, create more well-being and retention strategies for employees and find avenues to mitigate security risks caused by old technological systems.

State corrections officials agreed with all of the recommendations. 

“These issues affect our ability to safely operate institutions, deliver effective services, and meet our mission,” wrote Mike Reese, director of the Oregon Department of Corrections, in a response letter to the audit. “The department is committed to addressing these challenges through strategic planning, modernization efforts, and continuous improvement.”

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