Sheriff Announces New Investigations Following Jail Deaths

The Oregon State Police and National Institute of Corrections will help the county unravel what led to the six inmates’ deaths.

news_Inverness-Jail_LaurelKadas_4504 Multnomah County Inverness Jail. (Laurel Kadas)
By Lucas Manfield

Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell announced a pair of outside investigations yesterday, following an unprecedented string of deaths at Multnomah County jails.

The Oregon State Police will review the county’s investigations into the six deaths, which have occurred in the county’s two jails in a three-month span beginning in May. Meanwhile, the National Institute of Corrections has agreed “to provide an independent assessment of our facilities, operations, policies and services,” O’Donnell said in a statement.

Related: Sheriff Responds to Largest Number of Multnomah County Jail Deaths in More Than a Decade

The involvement of OSP is “not uncommon,” she said. The National Institute of Corrections is a federal agency that provides assistance, by request, to local jails and prisons.

“I believe these are important steps to ensure transparency in the work we do and build and maintain the community’s trust in us,” she added.

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