By Paul Daquilante • Staff Writer • 

Yamhill County jail population shrinking

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Comments

Stella

Maybe not contract our jail beds out? Contracts with Counties in Eastern Oregon etc.? House our Yamhill County criminals period. No reduced sentence - plenty of room to spread out. Really really unbelievable to release a criminal. Shut down visitations. It should be safer in there if done right. Disappointing and shocking to say the least.

tagup

Huh?....how could it be “safer” to be locked up and in close quarters with an untested group of inmates & jail staff....?

Paul Daquilante

Stella . . .

The facility is locked down from a visitation standpoint.

Paul Daquilante/reporter

Stella

Tagup
Quarantine new prisoners for 14 days. The rest have been in there long enough to be clear. Wear a mask, social distance - don’t rent out our County jail beds ($) focus on Yamhill County criminals (we have less $ BUT our criminals are in jail with more than enough room to social distance)

Protect the law abiding public.



Mermaid35

Stella, where are they supposed to quarantine that many new prisoners for 14 days? You should get your facts straight since the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office does not rent out jail beds to other counties. Have you been in the Yamhill County Correctional Facility to know if there is enough room to quarantine that many new prisoners and for them to have room for social distance? The staff go in and out of the facility every day, don't you think its possible for a staff member to go to work and be asymptomatic and take the virus in there? You should let the professionals do their jobs.

tagup

Clearly, the obvious solution would be to test everyone....

tagup

Sorry for the double post....:)

Stella

Mermaid35

Read page 20 (quick google search). This years jail bed rental agreements were part of a packet for a formal Commissioner session....

https://www.co.yamhill.or.us/sites/default/files/2012%20YCSO%20ANNUAL%20REPORT.pdf

Stella

That is 2012.... I remember Cook County and Deschutes too for 2020 I believe...

Stella

This 2019 article talks about lack of jail bed rental money and discloses the number of beds/available bed total..

https://newsregister.com/article?articleTitle=sheriff-aging-jail-needs-repairs-modernization--1557449347--33177--


Mermaid35

Stella, Great job on finding a New Register article from last year that shows they haven't rented beds for three years now.

From that 2019 article: "Since jail bed rental money stopped coming in two years ago, the county has not set aside funds for jail needs, or planned how it would fund ongoing maintenance and eventual replacement."

Paul Daquilante

A statement, related to several issues, from Capt. Rich Geist, Jail Commander:

. . . "Though we have the ability to rent beds to other agencies and do have a contract in place with the U.S. Marshals Service to rent beds to them if needed, we have not rented any beds to any agency since 2017 when our contracted ended with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office."

. . . "We only have six medical cells for the entire facility that are also used for adults in custody who are detoxing from drugs and/or alcohol or are sick or injured, so we don’t have the ability to quarantine every new prisoner that comes into custody for 14 days as we normally receive anywhere from 10 to 20 new prisoners."

. . . "As far as the social distancing, jail are designed to house a lot people in smaller spaces, so in order for us and other facilities around the state and country to do it right to keep them healthy during this pandemic was to lower the population."

Paul Daquilante/reporter

Joel

Ahhh, the joys of living in liberal Oregon...at the first opportunity the far left political leaders will empty out the jails and prisons. Texas is looking better and better to me every day.

Sally G

Thanks to Captain Geist and Sheriff Svenson for taking thoughtful and rational action with the jail during this time. I appreciate the ongoing work of the staff in their efforts to maintain a virus-free environment. We appreciate it!

tagup

Joel- you’re kidding right?.....You actually think anyone is trying to take advantage of a pandemic to empty the jails?
Get a new tin foil hat!

Stella

Joel đź‘Ť

Mermaid35

This is the rental approved. Where are juveniles housed?

https://www.co.yamhill.or.us/sites/default/files/062719%20agenda_0.pdf

Stella

535 E 5th (jail and juvenile detention). That’s what I get when I google.

Once again..... if we take care of our own vs renting beds to Counties in Eastern Oregon etc.... plenty of room to social distance imo

tricia

Any chance you could let us know what crimes were committed by these inmates who get to walk right out the door? I'm sympathetic to some people who have made mistakes. Others not so much. The concern for inmate safety should not precede public safety. Are staff and inmates provided face masks and gloves?

Mermaid35

Stella, The link for the July 27, 2019 BOC Agenda shows the Juvenile Detention Facility rents beds. The Yamhill County Correctional Facility, which is run by the Sheriff's Office and it is different from the Yamhill County Juvenile Detention Facility, which is run by the Yamhill County Department of Community Justice, a completely separate county department.

The Yamhill County Sheriff's Office does not rent bed space in the Yamhill County Correctional Facility to other counties. You already learned that when you read the NR article from May 2019. Paul also added additional information from Captain Geist, who said they don't rent beds to other counties.

The 535 E 5th Street address is also the address for the courthouse, its one big building with many different departments. Pay attention and get your facts straight before you type.

Stella

Mermaid35

Where is the bed rental location?

Since your the expert - can you list what crimes prisoners released have committed? We are all ears.

Stella

https://www.co.yamhill.or.us/juvenile

Same location?

Again: instead of renting beds/space out to eastern Oregon Counties etc ... why not expand the jail space OR use part of this space to social distance the prisoners? Your right - I’m not “in the know” but as a tax payer I can’t imagine wanting convicted criminals released early when there appears to be space... if we didn’t rent beds out to other counties. Room to expand the jail space? Not sure...

Mermaid35

Stella,

The District Attorney's Office is located at the same as address, does that make them part of the jail also?

Why don't you go to the link you posted for the Juvenile and either call or email Jessica Beach - Community Justice Director and ask her if they are part of the jail or why don't you call the jail and speak to Captain Geist and ask them how many beds they are renting out to other counties.

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