Inverness Jail inmates who contracted COVID file lawsuit against Multnomah County
The lawsuit claims staff at the Multnomah County Inverness Jail was negligent, and it led to many illnesses. Author: Mike Benner Updated: 11:31 PM PDT April 8, 2021
PORTLAND, Ore. Ben Baker says he spent several hours inside the Multnomah County Inverness Jail in late March. This was about the same time a COVID outbreak, that sickened nearly 200 inmates, staff and family members, was coming to an end. Baker recalls sitting in a holding cell with about a dozen inmates. He says some inmates were wearing masks, some were not. I d put it on staff to be more prudent and I didn t feel that, Baker said. I was stressed. I had a guy leaning on me, no mask, yelling and screaming about how he has COVID.
Updated 6:04 PM Fifteen current and former detainees of the Multnomah County Inverness Jail, all of whom say they ve tested positive for COVID-19, filed a class action lawsuit in U.S. District Court on April 5, accusing jail staff and Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese of negligence for failing to mitigate the spread of the virus. The lawsuit follows an outbreak at the jail that can be traced back to late 2020. As of Feb. 17, nearly 200 adults in custody at the Inverness Jail and about 30 staffers or members of their households tested positive for the virus, according to the county s website. The reason for the outbreak is not a mystery, the complaint says. Defendants failure to require, or enforce, social distancing, PPE, increased testing, or other precautions in jails and jails known to slow the spread of COVID-19 placed plaintiffs at imminent risk of contracting COVID-19.
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Murmurs: Jail Inmates Sue County Following Outbreak In other news: State suggests burying toxic soil along beach. Willamette Cove. (Justin Katigbak) Updated 5:29 AM
JAIL INMATES SUE COUNTY FOLLOWING OUTBREAK: Fifteen current and former detainees of the Multnomah County Inverness Jail, all of whom say they ve tested positive for COVID-19, filed a class action lawsuit in U.S. District Court on April 5, accusing jail staff and Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese of negligence for failing to mitigate spread of the virus. The lawsuit follows an outbreak that led to nearly 200 positive cases among Inverness Jail inmates, and about 30 staffers or members of their households. The reason for the outbreak is not a mystery, the complaint says. Defendants failure to require, or enforce, social distancing, [personal
Judge limits jail booking criteria as Multnomah County works to reduce inmate population after COVID outbreak
Updated Feb 19, 2021;
Posted Feb 19, 2021
A COVID outbreak has infected more than 140 inmates at the Multnomah County Inverness Jail since the beginning of the year, leading to an outcry from inmates and public defenders. (The Oregonian/OregonLive/File)LC-
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Multnomah County officials are working to reduce jail populations after a recent COVID-19 outbreak by limiting new arrests, releasing some inmates early and delaying sentences.
The outbreak has infected more than 140 inmates at the Multnomah County Inverness Jail since the beginning of the year, leading to an outcry from inmates and public defenders.
Lax procedures, staff apathy led to hundreds with COVID at Portland jail, inmates say
Updated Feb 11, 2021;
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In mid-January, inmates at the Multnomah County Inverness Jail started testing positive for COVID-19. Two weeks later, over 140 have been infected.
The explosion in cases the first major outbreak at Inverness since the pandemic started has caused tension and frustration at the east Portland jail, which houses 512 men and women.
Inmates are scared and frustrated over being forced to live in quarters with COVID-positive bunkmates. Some started an uprising Sunday that led to deputies taking shelter in a small office. Work being done on electronics upgrades has forced overcrowding. And a county audit describes staff not taking protocols seriously and being undisciplined about mask use.