HER
HER GROUP
HER GROUP WANTS THE STATE TO DO MORE TO PROTECT PEOPLE IN
PRISON AND PRISON EMPLOYEES.
TONIGHT, WE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT
IS STOPPING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC
FROM RAVAGING OREGON'S PRISONS,
ESPECIALLY WITH AN EMPLOYEE
TESTING POSITIVE.
TESTING POSITIVE. MAGGIE VESPA WENT TO FIND
ANSWERS.
ANSWERS.
ANSWERS. >> Reporter: WE WILL START WITH
THE EMPLOYEE WHO TESTED
POSITIVE FOR COVID-19.
TO BE BLUNT, WE DON'T KNOW A
LOT ABOUT THEM.
THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF
CORRECTIONS IS ONLY TELLING
REPORTERS THAT PERSON WORKS AT
THE OREGON STATE PENITENTIARY
IN SALEM AND HAD CONTACT WITH
SOME OF THE MORE THAN 2000 MEN
INCARCERATED THERE.
INCARCERATED THERE. THE NEWS ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY.
SET OFF A CHAIN REACTION.
>> WE ARE GOING CELL BY CELL,
PERSON BY PERSON, BUNK BY BUNK
AND ASKING THEM THE CDC
APPROVED QUESTIONNAIRE INTO
TAKING TEMPERATURES.
TAKING TEMPERATURES. >> Reporter: THE D.O.C.
CHIEF OF MEDICINE DR.
CHRISTOPHER TO JULIO TOLD US
THAT FIELD STUDY WENT WELL.
HE SAYS AS OF RIGHT NOW, NOBODY
WHO CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE
EMPLOYEE IS SHOWING SYMPTOMS.
WE ALSO LEARNED THAT D.O.C.
HAS TESTED 13 PEOPLE IN
OREGON'S PRESENCE OF FOUR COVID-
19.
19.
19. ALL
19. ALL 13 TESTS WERE NEGATIVE.
>> I WANT THE PEOPLE OF OREGON
THAT HAVE LOVED ONES INSIDE OF
OUR INSTITUTION TO KNOW THAT WE
ARE WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK
AND WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE
POSSIBLY CAN TO MAINTAIN THEIR
SAFETY AND HEALTH.
>> Reporter: TANGIBLY, HE SAYS
THE D.O.C.
THE D.O.C. HAS CLOSED FACILITIES TO ALL
VISITORS, INCLUDING CONTRACT
EMPLOYEES.
EMPLOYEES. THEY HAVE ELIMINATED ALL GROUP
ACTIVITIES AND LATER MARKERS ON
THE FLOOR TO HELP EVERYONE STAY
SIX FEET APART.
THEY HAVE ALSO EDUCATED PEOPLE
THERE ABOUT PROPER HYGIENE AND
SET UP QUARANTINE AREAS IN
EVERY PRISON IN CASE AN
INCARCERATED PERSON TESTS
POSITIVE.
POSITIVE.
POSITIVE. ALL THAT SAID, OREGON'S PRISONS
CONTAIN CLOSE TO 14,500 PEOPLE
AND THEY ARE RUN BY MORE THAN
4500 EMPLOYEES.
4500 EMPLOYEES. MANY OF WHOM CAN'T WORK FROM
HOME.
HOME.
HOME. IT
HOME. IT BEGS A BLUNT QUESTION.
I NOTE AIC STENTS FOR ADULT
CAPACITY.
CAPACITY.
CAPACITY. IS THERE ENOUGH SPACE FOR THIS
PEOPLE TO REMAIN SIX FEET
APART?
APART?
APART? >>
APART? >> WE ARE DOING OUR VERY BEST
TO EDUCATE OUR AICS AND OUR
SECURITY STAFF ON THE
IMPORTANCE SOCIAL DISTANCING.
>> Reporter: IS NOT A NO?
>> THE ANSWER TO THAT IS WE ARE
DOING OUR VERY BEST.
WITH 14 DIFFERENT INSTITUTIONS,
WITH MULTIPLE LINE MOVEMENTS
WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TO GO GET
THEIR MEDICATIONS THREE TIMES A
DAY, THEY HAVE TO GO TO THE
CHILD THREE TIMES A DAY, WHICH
IS THEIR MEAL THREE TIMES A
DAY.
DAY.
DAY. >>
DAY. >> Reporter: THOSE REALITIES IN
MIND, KGW THIS WEEK RECEIVED
MULTIPLE STATEMENTS LIKE THIS
ONE, WHICH I STARTED BY CALLING
THESE FACILITIES DEATH TRAPS
WHEN A DISEASE SUCH AS COVID-19
BREAKS OUT.
BREAKS OUT. IT CAME FROM ALICE LUNDELL AT
THE OREGON JUSTICE RESOURCE
CENTER.
CENTER.
CENTER. >> OF THERE IS ONE MESSAGE, BUT
WOULD YOU SAY THAT WAS?
>> RELEASE PEOPLE.
>> Reporter: THAT PLEA AND THAT
GOVERNOR KATE BROWN.
THEY ARE CALLING ON HER TO
COMMUTE PRISON SENTENCES OF THE
ELDERLY, IMMUNOCOMPROMISED,
ELDERLY, IMMUNOCOMPROMISED, PEOPLE WITH RELEASE DATES
ALREADY SET FOR THIS YEAR OR
NEXT AND PEOPLE WHO D.O.C.
STAFF BELIEVE CAN SAFELY RETURN
TO SOCIETY.
TO SOCIETY. THEY ARGUE BRINGING THE
PARTISAN POPULATION DOWNWARD
LET PEOPLE ON THE INSIDE KEEP
THEIR SOCIAL DISTANCE AND IN
TURN PROTECT PEOPLE ON THE
OUTSIDE.'S
OUTSIDE.'S >> WE KNOW IF THERE IS AN
OUTBREAK, IT IS NOT LIKELY TO
STAY IN THE PRESENT.
WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE COMING
INTO AND OUT OF THE PRISON.
AN OUTBREAK IN THE PRISON IS
LIKELY TO SPREAD.
>> MAGGIE, WE JUST HEARD BACK
FROM THE GOVERNOR A SHORT TIME
AGO.
AGO.
AGO. >>
AGO. >> Reporter: AGAIN, THAT'S
RIGHT.
RIGHT.
RIGHT. HER OFFICE SENT US AN EMAIL
SAYING SHE HAS HEARD WHAT THESE
GROUPS ARE ASKING HER TO DO AND
SHE IS CONSIDERING IT.
SHE HASN'T MADE A DECISION YET
BUT SHE WILL KEEP CONSULTING
WITH HEALTH EXPERTS AND THE
D.O.C.
D.O.C.
D.O.C. ON
D.O.C. ON THIS.
ON THIS.
ON THIS. >> I WAS THINKING THIS HAS TO
BE ESPECIALLY INTERESTING FOR
YOU.
YOU.
YOU. FOR
YOU. FOR PEOPLE AT HOME WHO DON'T
KNOW, YOU ARE PART OF THE TEAM
AT KGW WHO SPENT A YEAR
COVERING WOMEN INSIDE COFFEE
CREEK PRISON FOR A SERIES ON
THE LIFE PROGRAM.
WE HEARD THAT A COUPLE OF
MONTHS AGO.
MONTHS AGO. >> Reporter: IT IS INSANE TO
THINK ABOUT THAT PROGRAM AND WE
WERE THERE FOR SO LONG.
IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS BOTH JUST
YESTERDAY AND ALSO AN ATTORNEY
BE A GO TO HOW WE WERE THEN
LIVING OUR LIVES AND HOW WE ARE
LIVING OUR LIVES NOW.
AGAIN, THIS IS THE COFFEE CREEK
LIVE PROGRAM WHICH TEACHES
WOMEN ABOUT TO LEAVE PRISON
ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS PLANS.
THAT PROGRAM IS ON HOLD.
IT IS RUN BY MERCY CORPS
NORTHWEST AND THEY ARE ALSO
CALLING ON THE GOVERNOR TO MAKE
PRISON SAFER AMID ALL THIS IN
PART BY REDUCING THE
POPULATION.
POPULATION. THAT IS NOT ALL, TAKE A LISTEN.
>> WE ARE ALSO ASKING THAT ALL
COMMUNICATIONS ARE FREE DURING
THIS TIME THAT VISITATION IS
SUSPENDED.
SUSPENDED. I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE NOT BEING
ABLE TO COMMUNICATE FREELY WITH
FOLKS THAT I LOVE TO HEAR.
>> Reporter: TWO AFTER THIS
POINT, I LEFT A VOICEMAIL FOR
MARIAH WILLIAMS, THE ONLY WOMAN
FROM OUR SERIES WHO IS STILL IN
PRISON AT COFFEE CREEK.
I ASKED AND THAT VOICEMAIL IF
SHE WANTED TO TALK TO US ABOUT
THIS ABOUT WATCHING THE
PANDEMIC PLAY OUT FROM INSIDE
PRISON.
PRISON.
PRISON. SHE IS CLOSE TO HER FAMILY.
THEY LIVE HERE IN PORTLAND.
SPEAKING TO THAT POINT TO LEAVE
THAT METHOD, I HAD A DOLLAR
$.25 AND PEOPLE IN PRISON HAVE
TO PAY TO CALL ANYONE ON THE
OUTSIDE AS WELL.
NOW WE ARE HEARING CALLS FROM
EFFIE AT MERCY CORPS NORTHWEST
MAKE THOSE COMMUNICATIONS FREE
WELL WE ALL SORT OF PROGRESSED
THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC AND ALL