Construction Expected Soon for New Oregon Prison

SALEM, Ore. – Construction on a new $193 million prison facility in central Oregon is expected to begin in September after state legislators passed bills approving the project.

The facility will hold a total of 2,104 minimum- and medium-security inmates, and it is expected to bring about 500 jobs to the region. The minimum-security facility is scheduled to open in December 2005 or January 2006 with 864 beds. The medium-security facility is set to open in December 2006 or January 2007 with 1,240 beds, according to Community Development Program Manager Bobby Burton.

The project comes as Oregon’s inmate population sits at about 12,800, which is 1,000 more prisoners than the system was designed to handle. The state's inmate population is expected to rise to 14,000 by 2007 and up to 17,400 in the next 10 years.

Construction of the new prison was expected after state Measure 11, a voter-approved initiative that imposes mandatory minimum sentences on violent crimes and serious sex offenders, was passed in 1994.

Since the measure passed, prisons have been built in Baker City, Hermiston and Ontario. However, state politicians are beginning to raise concerns about the high cost of building and maintaining the correctional facilities.

The construction budget for the Madras facility was passed by the House with a 32-18 vote, after several years of delays. Until its recent change of position, the State Senate considered delaying the project another two years.

Oregon Department of Corrections officials estimated that waiting two years would have increased the facility's cost by about $40 million, while other prisons suffered from overcrowding.

In anticipation of the new jail, Madras city officials have built a new school and improved the city's sewer and water capacity.