Multnomah County officials have proposed to allocate $200,000 in contingency funds towards initiatives aimed at improving relations between the sheriff’s office and the county’s health department. This move comes in response to concerns raised about the well-being of jail inmates following a series of inmate deaths last year.
The goal is to “immediately begin efforts to de-silo the sheriff’s office and Corrections Health and build a better working relationship” between the two organizations responsible for inmate welfare. The decision to allocate funds for this purpose follows a report by a National Institute of Corrections consultant that highlighted “serious health care and operations issues in the Multnomah jail system.” The report specifically criticized the county health department for failing to share important information with corrections officers.
One recommendation that emerged from the report was the hiring of a “CEO” of jail health services independent of the health department. While this suggestion could still be considered, Sarah Dean, spokeswoman for Multnomah County, stated that the sheriff is launching a corrections recommendation project to assess the findings of various reports and take action on the recommendations, which may include exploring a third-party position.
According to Dean, “We are committed to addressing these serious issues and making improvements in our jail system. We believe that this funding will help us do just that.” The County Board of Commissioners is set to consider this proposal on May 2nd, and if approved, it will be an important step towards improving relations between the two departments and ensuring better care for jail inmates.
