Concerns raised again following another death at the Multnomah County Jail

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office confirms last week’s inmate death is the first one of this year.

According to officials, Asia Marie Williams, 31, was found unresponsive in her cell at the Multnomah County Detention Center on July 25, two days after she was booked.

Despite life-saving measures, Williams was pronounced dead by AMR paramedics. The Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause of death.

The death is reigniting concerns over staffing and safety.

A new report released earlier this month by the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) shows so far in 2024, there have been 15 overdoses among Multnomah County inmates requiring transport to the emergency room.

The July report suggests holes in staffing, training, and safety may have contributed to a spike in deaths in recent years.

From 2022-2023, ten inmates died while in custody at the Multnomah County Jail or Detention Center. Overdoses caused four, and at least two have been linked to fentanyl. Three were suicides.

In April, the spike in deaths prompted the Oregon Nurses Association to call for the removal of then Corrections Health Director Michael Abiero, and demand improvements be made to staffing and safety.

According to the NIC report, there are currently 36 job vacancies, and another 15 to 20 employees are consistently out on long term-leave.

The report also notes that not all staff are trained on body scanners, the equipment is outdated, and a single staff member will strip search up to six people at a time.

It also notes that most holding cells at both the jail and detention center do not have cameras for monitoring adults in custody.

The report says inmate mail has become one of the primary means used to bring in contraband.

It also says there are no cameras in visitation areas, and drugs have been brought in that way.

The report also noted there has been limited employee training on crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and mental health first aid.

The sheriff’s office declined an interview on how it’s applying the recommendations from the report.

But a county slideshow presentation shows the sheriff’s office has hired full-time behavioral health clinicians in March and April and says recruitment and efforts to increase behavioral health and suicide training are ongoing.

https://katu.com/news/local/multnomah-county-inmate-death-reigniting-concerns-over-staffing-safety

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Author: KATU News
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News post in at: August 1, 2024, 3:04 am.

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