| Powder River Correctional Facility |
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| Mission Statement |
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The mission of Powder River Correctional Facility is to protect the public safety by habilitating offenders through quality management and programs, partnerships with communities, positive human relations and a continuum of correctional services.
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| Transition |
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Powder River Correctional Facility serves as a transition and re-entry facility for the Department. Program-eligible inmates preparing for transition from prison to community are sent to the facility for alcohol and drug treatment. The facility’s New Directions Alternative Incarceration Addictions Program (AIP) is a 178-bed treatment program for qualifying inmates. Inmates in this program are assigned to a highly regimented program which includes a daily routine of 14-16 hours of treatment, education, and transition classes in conjunction with institution and/or community-based work.
Oregon Administrative Rule 291-062-0100
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| Partners-Inmate Work Programs |
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Powder River is located in rural Baker City in Eastern Oregon. The facility, a 278 bed minimum-security institution was opened in 1989 and serves the Department’s mission by focusing its correctional program efforts on inmates who have alcohol and drug treatment needs.
Inmates in this program provide a variety of work related services to the communities in Baker and surrounding counties. One of the primary reasons for this work is to reduce the costs of government, particularly to rural governments, who could not successfully complete needed work projects by other means. Examples of value-added work accomplished by inmate work crews include:
- Maintenance of a local church in exchange for use of their facility for Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings by inmates who are in the transition phase of their treatment program.
- Weekly building and grounds maintenance of the Baker County Library in exchange for the library’s weekly bookmobile services to the facility for inmates.
- Seasonal gleaning of field crops which supports local food banks.
- The “Warm Hearts, Warm Homes” project, which involves the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Oregon Department of Forestry (ODOF), and Powder River in a cooperative effort with private non-profit organizations and community partners to provide firewood gleaned from ODOF and private land sites to fixed income seniors, disabled persons, and persons utilizing subsidy services throughout Baker, Wallowa, and Union counties.
- Upkeep of the Leo Adler Parkway (walking path) through Baker City.
- Placing Neighborhood watch signs in the community for the Baker County Sheriff’s Office.
- Litter patrol of County roads throughout Baker County.
- Snow removal in the winter months for senior/disabled citizens.
- Maintenance, construction and other miscellaneous projects for local churches and other agencies at reduced costs.
Multi-Agency Partnerships:
- Step Forward Activities, Inc. (QRF: Qualified Rehabilitation Facility) – Remanufacture printer and toner cartridges for public agencies.
- Cooperative effort with DHS, USFS, ODOF, Neighbor to Neighbor to provide firewood for elderly/indigent citizens who are under a subsidy program with DHS during the winter months.
- Outreach programs with schools designed to educate youth about the harmful effects of alcohol/drug abuse.
- Annual cleaning of Baker County Fairgrounds before and after the County Fair.
- Assistance to the various school districts in the county involving building and grounds maintenance.
- Assistance to Historic Baker City in maintaining the beautification of Main Street.
- Maintenance and upkeep of the Sumpter Valley Dredge State Park, Unity Lake State Park, and Clyde Holiday State Park.
- Fuel reduction services for the Baker City Watershed.
- Urban Interface projects for the citizens of the City of Sumpter.
These partnerships save Oregon taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.
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| BEACoN |
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Baker Emergency Alert Countywide Network (BEACoN) is an emergency alert notification system designed to provide citizens of Baker City and surrounding communities throughout the county with information about emergencies including instances of an inmate escape from the facility or a walk away from an inmate work crew. The BEACoN system is a product of the Powder River Prison Advisory Committee. This committee is comprised of local community citizens. The BEACoN internet website at the Sheriff’s office can be accessed by citizens for additional information.
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