During the opening hearing of the legislative session, the executive director of the Oregon Department of Corrections was asked only a few questions by Oregon lawmakers this week.
None of them addressed the well-known issues with prison health care, such as the recent departures of the department’s top two managers who oversee medical care for the estimated 12,000 inmates in the state.
Mike Reese, the director, similarly steered clear of the subject.
Reese gave the Senate and House Judiciary committees a general rundown of the prison system he has been overseeing for over a year on Tuesday, outlining the three primary issues the agency is now experiencing.
The most challenging issues, according to him, are security and healthcare staffing, the complicated medical, mental health, and post-prison housing requirements of inmates, and IT that is so outdated that we lack engineers capable of working on it.
Reese also compared the state’s oldest prison to the notorious and now-closed Alcatraz, telling lawmakers that the Oregon State Penitentiary is dreadfully antiquated.
In the meantime, the prison health system in Oregon faces difficulties in providing inmates with appropriate care, which have been well-documented in court documents.
Last year, Oregon gave a record-breaking $3.5 million to the family of a prisoner who passed away at the Oregon State Penitentiary after his heart attack symptoms were left untreated, according to court documents.
This month, a Circuit Court judge found the Department of Corrections in contempt for knowingly and purposefully failing to treat the conditions of a prisoner who suffers from chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder, and ordered the state to immediately release the man.
Reese’s 38-minute talk did not address those changes.
Committee members also didn’t, when they asked Reese about the price of inmate phone calls to relatives, prisoner employment pay, and prison contraband.
Each member of both committees was emailed by The Oregonian/OregonLive to inquire as to why they did not question Reese about jail medical treatment.
Three people answered.
Salem Republican Representative Kevin Mannix characterized Reese’s presentation as a first look at the agency. In an email, he stated that the committee timetable meant that time was inevitably constrained. On a number of matters impacting the department, including health care, he stated that he intends to follow up with the agency directly.
Sen. Anthony Broadman, a Democrat from Bend, referred to Tuesday’s hearings as the beginning of this year’s public safety effort. He claimed that about $458 million was set aside for health services in the Department of Corrections budget.
In an email, he stated that Oregon has an obligation to ensure that those funds are used appropriately and that individuals who are detained receive quality medical treatment. I will continue to emphasize accountability in all government programs, including state prison health care, as the legislative session progresses.
Sen. Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, directed inquiries to the Senate and House Judiciary committee chairs in an email.
McLane responded, “You asked questions that deserve answers.” I’m hoping the Chairs will respond to your inquiries.
Rep. Jason Kropf, D-Bend, chairs the House committee, and Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, chairs the Senate committee. The committee meeting was not attended by Kropf.
According to Prozanski, the purpose of this week’s hearing was to provide an overview of the organization. Since lawmakers are focused on getting laws through the session, he said, they don’t have time to convene a hearing this year that is solely about jail medical treatment.
“I have other things I need to finish for the assembly right now in order to move things along,” he stated.
Reese was particularly asked to speak to incoming committee members and give a broad overview of the Department of Corrections, according to a Department of Corrections official on Thursday.
According to Amber Campbell, a prisons spokesman, the director made it clear at the outset that he would follow up with committee members on their areas of interest rather than delving deeply into any one subject.
Former inmate Michael LaSeur, who was freed after the state was found in contempt by Senior Circuit Judge Patricia A. Sullivan, stated that politicians have to speak with inmates directly regarding the treatment they receive while incarcerated.
To be honest, they ought to inquire about the physical and mental health care, and they should speak with those who are confined there, he stated. The Department of Corrections is unlikely to volunteer the information, he surmised.
“Oh, well, we have limited resources or we try our best,” he added, anticipating their response.
Tara Herivel, LaSeur’s attorney, who has regularly questioned the state about the standard and availability of medical care in jail, stated that lawmakers had an obligation to hold the agency accountable.
According to her, people are returning to society after serving time in jail more damaged and shattered, both physically and mentally, as a result of medical malpractice. We will all have to bear the consequences of that.
Criminal justice is the area of expertise for enterprise reporter Noelle Crombie. You can reach her at [email protected] or 503-276-7184.
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