Banning the Use of Canines in Jail to Control Inmates
During the 2019 state legislative session, we successfully advocated for a statewide ban on the use of police canines in jail (SB 495).
August 2017 Columbia County Jail Incident
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.
This practice captured the public’s attention when graphic video footage from August 2017 showed Columbia County Jail deputies using a canine to violently force an inmate to leave his cell.
This cell extraction came to light after the Columbia County Spotlight newspaper pursued the video record of the incident.
