What and Where are the “Oregon Jail Standards?”

When someone asks for “Oregon Jail Standards” they could be referring to two, or more, separate things, but they are usually referring to one or both of these:

1) The first is in ORS 160.076, which are the jail standards that were first enacted in the early 1970s, and that lay out the statutory minimum requirements that jails must adhere to.

2) Second are the voluntary standards promulgated by the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association (OSSA), and followed by every jail in Oregon. They are not available on the OSSA website. They are copyrighted. OSSA is not a government agency and is not required to comply with public records laws.

Here are some citations to Oregon “jail” laws:

OAR: 291-117-0005 (through 0140): Personal Property (Inmate)

OAR: 133.455: Receipts for property taken from person in custody; penalty

ORS 169.076: Standards for local correctional facilities

ORS 169.090: Manual of guidelines for local correctional facility operation; guidelines for juvenile detention facility operation