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The Oregon Way

THE OREGON WAY

ABOUT THE OREGON WAY

The Oregon Way promotes positive and healthy organizational culture within correctional institutions. It empowers staff to engage actively with AICs, guiding them toward rehabilitation and successful reintegration. By implementing innovative approaches and enhancing conditions, it aims to improve outcomes for both staff and adults in custody.

PRINCIPLES OF DYNAMIC SECURITY

Image of princilles of dynamic security Image of the three types of security

​Dynamic security is about regular, respectful communication between staff and AICs. This approach promotes safety and rehabilitation by encouraging staff to monitor behavior and solve problems together. It helps AICs grow personally and adjusts to changes in the facility, focusing on enhancing safety and reducing negative behaviors while also supporting staff well-being. ​

​Static security involves physical measures to keep control over the prison. This includes fences, security lights, cameras, and other control systems. These measures are important for keeping people safe and containing AICs. However, relying only on these methods can make AICs feel isolated and disconnected from rehabilitation goals. ​

​Organizational/Procedural Security involves the rules, policies, and documents that help our correctional facilities operate effectively. These guidelines act as a roadmap, guiding us on how to do things correctly and ensuring everyone is informed. They help both staff and adults in custody understand their roles and daily expectations. However, if we become too focused on strictly following rules without any flexibility, it can create a rigid and bureaucratic atmosphere that limits our ability to innovate and adjust to new situations.​ 


OPERATIONAL PRACTICES

​The Resource Team approach empowers staff to work safely and effectively with the highest-risk, highest-need incarcerated individuals to dramatically increase timeout-of-cell and ultimately support them to live safely and successfully without isolation. Resource Teams are based in a restrictive housing unit and focus on people who are self-isolating and other high-risk individuals who need extra support to stay on track and out of restrictive housing. Resource Team members receive extensive additional training, and dedicated project time, to work effectively with the most complex individuals.​​

​A Contact Officer is a correctional officer or staff person who is assigned to a small number of incarcerated individuals to support their success and prevent problems before they arise. The Contact Officer might connect incarcerated individuals to resources and opportunities, support them as a coach, mentor, and role model, or create events or small projects that make their housing unit a better place to work and live. The Contact Officer has more tools to hold incarcerated individuals accountable because they are empowered to make important decisions in their unit and can create meaningful opportunities for the population they're working with.  ​

​The Isolation Reduction Team is a diverse group of staff members who share the same goals and values. They work with targeted AICs who are refusing to leave Special Housing (self-isolation). The primary goal of the Isolation Reduction Team is to reintegrate these self-isolating AICs back into the general population by taking a staff wellness approach and introducing a sense of humanity. ​

​The Activity Team approach empowers uniformed staff to work safely and effectively with the highest-risk, highest-need incarcerated individuals to dramatically increase time-out-of-cell and ultimately support them to live safely and successfully without isolation. The Activity Team is mobile, working throughout the prison, and focuses on people who are self-isolating and other high-risk individuals who need extra support to stay on track and out of restrictive housing. The goals of the Activity Team is to maximize time out-of-cell engaged in social activity, programming, and treatment, and to support each incarcerated individual to live at the lowest level of security possible.​

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MEASURES OF SUCCESS

Change cannot occur simply through top-down system changes and practices. It will require a grass-roots change in philosophy and mindset of the entire DOC team. Measures of success will include, but are not limited to:

  • Improvements in officer health and well-being
  • Increase job satisfaction
  • Reductions in staff turnover
  • Dramatic reductions in the use of restrictive housing and similar disciplinary actions
  • All measures of recidivism

RESOURCES

For questions and additional information please email DOCOregonWayInfo@doc.oregon.gov