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Oregon State Penitentiary
General Information
Mission Statement
Visiting Information
Inmate Phone Use
Commonly Requested Information
Information About OSP History
General Information
Aerial Photo of OSP
Oregon State Penitentiary
Administration

 Brian Belleque Superintendent
   
 Lou Allen Asst. Superintendent General Services  
   
 Michael Yoder Asst. Superintendent Transitional Services
   
 Gerald Long Asst. Superintendent Security
   
 Michelle Dodson Executive Assistant/Public Information Officer  

Mailing address for both OSP Main and OSP Minimum:
2605 State Street
Salem, Oregon 97310-0505
 
Street Address OSP Main:
2605 State Street
Salem, OR
 
Street Address OSP Minimum:
2809 State Street
Salem, OR

Phone
OSP Main:
Information: (503)378-2453
FAX: (503)378-3897
 
OSP Minimum:
Control Center/Information: 503-378-2441
Facility Manager: 503-378-2683

Mission Statement
The mission of the Oregon State Penitentiary is to assure public safety by providing:
  • A safe and secure environment for all persons;
  • Program and rehabilitative opportunities to enhance inmate ability to reintegrate into the community;
  • Work and leisure time activities to reduce inmate idleness;
  • Habilitative services for special needs inmates within the Department of Corrections.

Visiting Information
OSP (Main Penitentiary)
Every day including holidays: 7:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
 
Please note:   Visiting with inmates in special housing (Disciplinary Segregation Unit, Intensive Management Unit, Infirmary, Mental Health Infirmary, Administrative Segregation, and Death Row) has additional restrictions and requires prior scheduling.  For visits with special housing unit inmates, please call 503-378-2597.  Professional visits  must be scheduled in advance by contacting the Superintendent's Office at (503) 378-2445.
 
See detailed information about visiting for more specific information relative to visiting at the Penitentiary.

OSPM (OSP Minimum Facility)
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Detailed Information About Visiting at the Oregon State Penitentiary
 
Rule on Visiting (Inmate)
 
Map to the Oregon State Penitentiary

Inmate Phone Use
General Population Inmates - Phone Calls
  • Inmates in general population at OSP have access to telephones when their housing unit is called for the recreation yard.  The yard is available to the inmates on a rotating basis.  Yard hours are approximately from 8:00 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and 4:30 p.m. to approximately 9:00 p.m.  Inmates housed in A-Block have access to telephones seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 10:50 p.m. as well as those inmates housed in the Dormitory. 

Special Population Inmates - Phone Calls
  • Mental Health Infirmary - inmates have access to telephones seven days a week during open ward with varied hours ending no later then 9:00 p.m. 
  • Intensive Management Unit or Disciplinary Segregation Unit  - Inmates housed in the Intensive Management Unit or Disciplinary Segregation Unit do not have free access to telephones.  These inmates may make telephone calls only after requesting and receiving approval from the Special Housing Captain or assigned counselor.
  • Administrative Segregation -   Inmates in Administrative Segregation and on Death Row have access to telephones during their recreation time which varies throughout the day. 
  • Infirmary - Inmates have access to telephones at various times throughout the day.

Emergency Notifications
  • If there is a death in an inmate’s family, the family may contact the penitentiary’s chaplain in order to notify the inmate.  The inmate’s family needs to contact the inmate’s counselor for any other emergencies.

Commonly Requested Information
 
ODOC Frequently Asked Questions
 
FAQ´s About Oregon Prisons
 
Posting Money to an Inmates Trust Account
 
Rule on Visiting (Inmate)
 
Rule on Mail (Inmate)

OSP (Main Penitentiary)
Custody Level: Maximum
 
Programs Offered: Work Force Development and Education: Besides a number of prison maintenance and food service jobs, inmates at the penitentiary may work in a furniture factory, metal shop, upholstery shop, or the state´s third-largest commercial laundry.  Mental health, religious, and cognitive programs are offered as well.
Educational programs include Adult Basic Education, GED, English as a Second Language, and an automotive repair vocational training program.  Inmates who meet minimum requirements (good behavior and program compliance) may participate in college level correspondence courses (at their own expense).
 
History: Oregon State Penitentiary (OSP), Oregon´s first state prison, was originally located in Oregon City in 1842. In 1866 it was moved to a 26-acre site in Salem and enclosed by a reinforced concrete wall averaging 25 feet in height. OSP is the state´s only maximum security prison.
The penitentiary currently has special housing units for maximum custody inmates; disciplinary segregation; offenders with psychiatric problems; and inmates sentenced to death. Executions, which are by lethal injection in Oregon, are conducted at the penitentiary. The 196-bed, self-contained Intensive Management Unit provides housing and control for those death row and male inmates who disrupt or pose a substantial threat to the general population in all department facilities.
Most housing in the penitentiary is in large cell blocks with most inmates housed in double cells. The penitentiary also has a full service infirmary.

OSPM (Minimum Facility)
Custody Level: Minimum
History: Oregon State Penitentiary has a free-standing minimum facility located on its grounds. It was originally built in 1964 as Oregon's first women's prison and was called Oregon Womens Correctional Center. The facility now accommodates 176 minimum-custody inmate workers who perform a variety of jobs. They maintain the area outside of the secure perimeter of the Oregon State Penitentiary, they work in a portion of the Oregon Corrections Enterprises (OCE) Laundry and maintain the grounds of the department's central office. The facility also provides inmate labor for community service projects in and around the city of Salem.

Information About OSP History
General History of the Oregon State Penitentiary  
 
 
The History of the Oregon Boot  
 
 
The Last Day of Superintendent Harry Minto  
 
 
History of Penitentiary Industries
 
Page updated: August 19, 2008

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