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Wildfire evacuation conditions for Oregon prisoners criticized as ‘inhumane’

The Oregon State Correctional Institution near Salem, Ore., on Sept. 8, 2020. The prison was one of the prisons evacuated because of wildfires.
Provided
The Oregon State Correctional Institution near Salem, Ore., on Sept. 8, 2020. The prison was one of the prisons evacuated because of wildfires.

Four Oregon prisons were fully evacuated earlier this month due to wildfires. Accounts from inmates, their lawyers and family members characterize the evacuation conditions as unsafe and unsanitary. Women evacuated from the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility say they were zip-tied together on school buses without access to restrooms, food or medication for many hours. We hear from attorney Tara Herivel, who leads a team of public defenders, and Paula Myers, superintendent of the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.

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Copyright 2020 Oregon Public Broadcasting

Julie Sabatier