By Don
Loving, Oregon AFSCME Council 75, Public Relations Director
January 18, 2001
SALEM --
Following testimony from AFSCME, the House Committee on Government Efficiencies
passed HB 2095 on to the Ways and Means Committee.
In 1995,
the Oregon Legislature granted the Department of Corrections the authority to
house Oregon inmates in out-of-state prison facilities, due to overcrowding in
Oregon's prison system and the state falling behind on its prison construction
schedule. DOC was allowed to use either out-of-state public or private prisons;
at one time, 1,500 Oregon inmates were being housed in private prisons outside
Oregon.
A number
of problems developed. There were escapes and allegations of attacks on women
inmates. Eventually, all inmates were returned to Oregon. The law that allowed
DOC to place prisoners outside the state "sunsets," or ends, this
year.
HB 2095
was introduced by the DOC to give it permanent authority to house prisoners
out-of-state when needed. AFSCME's amendments to HB 2095 say that's all right as
long as the prisoners go to other public facilities; in other words, no more
shipping Oregon inmates to low-cost, poorly staffed private prisons in Texas and
Arizona.
"We
understand the need for the state to occasionally house an inmate outside of
Oregon," said Mary Botkin, AFSCME's Senior Political Coordinator, in her
testimony before the committee. "Our amendments simply say you have to send
them to a public facility."
AFSCME was
the only union present giving testimony. Following testimony from a DOC
representative, the AFSCME amendments passed the committee on an 8-3 vote. While
the three "No" votes were Republicans, Botkin noted that Rep. Jim
Hill (R-Hillsboro) made the motions to adopt the amendments, and Rep. Jerry
Krummell (R-West Linn), the committee chair, worked with Botkin in drafting the
language.
"It was good to see out union there giving its input on this important issue," said Scott Campbell of Local 3941, a CO at Columbia River Correctional Institution who attended the hearing. "This is an important issue for the state."