Banning the Use of Canines to Control Jail Inmates
Inmates who experience a mental illness are at enormous risk of being subjected to and harmed by the use of canines to extract jail inmates from their cells. Corrections officers may be more likely to subject inmates who experience mental illness to a canine attack when they struggle to comply with commands due to a disability. Inmates who are anxious, overexcited, or delusional may have more difficulty submitting and lying still to avoid being bitten.
Only one county in Oregon allowed corrections staff to use canines to extract inmates from their cells. Oregon was one of only six states that permit its use.
In the fall of 2018, we issued a report to bring attention to the fact that Columbia County was using canines for this purpose and to call for a statewide ban. During the 2019 state legislative session, we successfully advocated for a statewide ban on this practice (SB 495).
