Additional Inspection of County Jail Project 2023

Multnomah County Detention Center (Photo courtesy Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office)

Updated: April 2, 2024

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In November 2022, Multnomah County voters approved Measure 26-233, a County Charter amendment recommended by the Multnomah County Charter Review Committee that requires Board members to conduct at least one additional inspection of County jails and correctional institutions administered by the Sheriff's Office per calendar year. The amendment also mandates that at least one volunteer member of the public accompanies each Board member during the inspection.

The application period for members of the public interested in accompanying a Board member during the additional 2023 inspection closed on Sept. 15, 2023.  On Oct. 24, 2023, the four chosen public volunteers accompanied the Board of County Commissioners and select members of their staff for the additional inspection of Multnomah County jail facilities.

Final Volunteer Reports

After the additional inspection, the selected volunteers completed reports outlining their findings and recommendations:

Response and thank you letters:

For questions or feedback, contact Jenny Carver, Strategic Initiatives Manager for the Chief Operating Officer and Project Manager for Measure Implementation, at jenny.carver@multco.us. 

Applicant Selection

Requirements and considerations for selected applicants included:

  • Applicants were required to pass a criminal history check and to sign a Facility Entry Agreement in order to access a Multnomah County Sheriff's Office facility.
  • Applicants did not need to reside in Multnomah County. However, those who live or work in the county, or have a demonstrated connection to Multnomah County, were prioritized.
  • Applicants who have a connection to communities disproportionately impacted by institutionalization and/or incarceration were also prioritized.

Selected applicants were expected to:  

  • Attend an orientation that included information about safety measures and other topics.
  • Attend the additional inspection of multiple County jail facilities, in person.
  • Participate in developing a report with their findings and recommendations from the inspection. 

During the 2023 Additional Inspection of County Jails applicant selection process, Multnomah County received 14 complete applications:

  • Three applications from residents of Multnomah County District 1.
  • Four applications from residents of Multnomah County District 2.
  • Four applications from residents of Multnomah County District 3.
  • One application from residents of Multnomah County District 4.
  • Two applications from outside of Multnomah County.

We also received eight incomplete applications.

Our outreach efforts included multiple emails to organizations that were identified by the project team as relevant partners and constituents with links to the online application, as well as social media posts from Multnomah County’s Instagram, X and Facebook accounts. 

Background on Measure 26-233

In November 2006, Multnomah County passed Resolution 06-198, which established a policy requiring the Board of County Commissioners to conduct an annual inspection of each County correctional facility, as mandated by Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 169.040. The resolution recognized that regular inspections are essential to ensuring that the facilities are being run in accordance with best practices and that the rights of justice-involved individuals  in custody are being protected. 

In November 2022, Multnomah County voters approved Measure 26-233, a County Charter amendment recommended by the Multnomah County Charter Review Committee that requires Board members to conduct at least one additional inspection of County jails and correctional institutions administered by the Sheriff's Office per calendar year. The amendment also mandates that at least one volunteer member of the public accompanies each Board member during the inspection. 

The Charter amendment is another step toward ensuring that correctional facilities in Multnomah County are operated in a transparent and accountable manner. Currently, the Multnomah County Detention Center and Multnomah County Inverness Jail undergo external oversight evaluations and recommendations provided by the Board of County Commissioners, as well as the annual Corrections Grand Jury process, which is facilitated by the District Attorney’s Office and conducted independently by Multnomah County residents, and the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association inspections and audits intended to ensure compliance with applicable statutes and best practices. Other organizations also have oversight authority, such as Disability Rights Oregon, that continues to guide policies and practices.

The involvement of a volunteer member of the public in the inspection process will provide an additional layer of oversight. Multnomah County is committed to upholding high standards of safety, fairness and justice within its correctional facilities.

Multnomah County is also committed to continued process improvement and will host listening sessions and feedback interviews to evaluate the 2023 implementation of Measure 26-233. 

2023 Project Summary and Evaluation

Multnomah County will conduct an evaluation for the 2023 Additional Inspection of County Jails project to assess the County’s performance in the project’s first year and to identify improvements moving forward. 

We're currently analyzing data gathered from people who were involved in the project, as well as other interested parties. The full report will be available on this webpage in mid April 2024. 

Project Team

Get in Touch

If you have any questions, contact Jenny Carver, Strategic Initiatives Manager for the Chief Operating Officer and Project Manager for Measure Implementation, at jenny.carver@multco.us.