Inmate Work Crews Join Vernonia Clean-up

The prisoners are staff-supervised, they're helping our with the major flooding in this Oregon log town.

Oregon Prison work crew Photo courtesy: Oregon DOC

(VERNONIA, Ore.) - The Oregon Department of Corrections dispatched 14 staff supervisors and 100 minimum-security inmates earlier today to help remove debris and clean-up around the city of Vernonia, which has been severely affected by weather damage and flooding.

Staff and inmates will erect a mobile work camp and a kitchen in L.L. "Stub" Stewart State Park, which is 11 miles south of Vernonia. The Department of Corrections is prepared to distribute 4,000 meals to inmates, staff and other personnel helping with the clean-up and repair.

"The mission of our Department is to keep Oregon safe," said Department of Corrections Director Max Williams. "Inmates who are allowed to work on outside work crews are minimum security and are carefully selected. These men appreciate the opportunity to contribute their labor as they learn to be responsible, law-abiding citizens."

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Oregon's inmates are required to work and supervised inmate work crews have a long history of assisting Oregon in cities and parks. Inmate crews helped Oregon during the floods of 1996 by filling sandbags and clearing debris. These crews are intended to benefit the community in which they work.

The Nehalem River and its tributaries overflowed Monday, leading to evacuations in the town of Vernonia. The town has approximately 2,200 residents, and has been cut off by landslides blocking roads into the community.

Source: Oregon Department of Corrections

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It has been just amazing what the inmates (and all of the other volunteers) have done for us. The inmate work crews have been fantastic - helping haul away the flood-water-soaked, muddy carpeting and furnature, walls and personal belongings of so many people. We thank each and every one of you for helping us dry off and get back on our feet.

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