Federal Correctional Institution, Sheridan

The Federal Correctional Institution, Sheridan (FCI Sheridan) is a medium-security United States federal prison for male inmates in Oregon. Opened in 1989, it is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. The facility also includes a detention center housing male offenders and an adjacent minimum-security satellite prison camp also for male offenders. FCI Sheridan is located in northwestern Oregon in Sheridan.

Federal Correctional Institution, Sheridan
Front entrance into FCI Sheridan
LocationSheridan, Oregon, United States
Coordinates
StatusOperational
Security classMedium-security (with minimum-security prison camp)
Capacity2000 (est.)
Population1,350 (480 in prison camp)
Opened1989
Managed byFederal Bureau of Prisons
WardenJosias Salazar

History

Sheridan, Oregon, began campaigning to be the site of the first federal prison in Oregon in 1981.[1] Then Senator Mark Hatfield and Congressman Les AuCoin worked to help get Sheridan selected as the site for the prison.[1] Federal prison officials began looking at sites around Sheridan to build a proposed $50 million minimum and medium security prison in 1985.[2] Plans called for the prison to be built on farmland south of the city.[3] Some local residents opposed building the facility near Sheridan and created a group to fight the government.[3] In August 1986, the 182-acre (74 ha) location south of Sheridan was approved by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.[4] These early plans called for a 250-person minimum security unit, a 550-person minimum security unit, with a total cost of $48 million.[4] The Delphian School's campus was also a candidate for the location of the prison.[5]

State and county governments expanded Sheridan's urban growth boundary to include the prison site in 1986, which opponents then fought in court.[6] These efforts, along with two ballot measures in November 1986, all failed, and groundbreaking for construction was held in March 1987.[7] Local businesses and the city had sought the prison to provide jobs in the area.[7] Sheridan expanded its water and wastewater treatment systems at a cost of $2.2 million as part of the project.[7]

The housing units located at the Prison Camp

FCI Sheridan opened in May 1989 with George Killinger as the warden.[1] Oregon's first federal prison cost $52 million to build. Construction began in 1987 with a design to hold 550 inmates at the prison portion and an additional 256 camp prisoners. Portland's Hoffman Construction Company built the prison for the federal government.[8] The prison was officially dedicated on August 24, 1989.[9] FCI Sheridan experienced a riot in September 1993 that destroyed one building when inmates set it on fire.[10] Another lockdown occurred in September 2003 when 40 prisoners were involved in fights using homemade weapons.[11] In December 1994, an additional 300 beds were added to the facility as a federal detention center for housing pre-trial inmates. The separate facility from the main prison cost $10 million to build.[12]

The Oregon Legislature passed a law in 1999 that prevented inmates in federal prisons from voting in local elections.[13] Since Oregon had never had a federal prison, only state prisoners had previously been barred from voting.[13] In 2000, the U.S. Census Bureau mistakenly listed the prison population in one census tract instead of the correct census tract. Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury used the incorrect data when re-drawing the state's legislative districts as is done after each census.[14] This small error of about 2000 people was enough to throw off the districts beyond their margin of acceptance and the Oregon Supreme Court ruled the Secretary must re-draw the boundary lines to match the correct data.[15] The city also counts the prison population as part of the city's official population.

Facility
FCI Sheridan's satellite camp

FCI Sheridan houses approximately 1900 total inmates.[16] This includes the main medium security detention facility and a smaller minimum security prison camp.[17] The facility is designed in a style that resembles college campuses that are meant to foster rehabilitation.[1] Buildings housing inmates have white exteriors with red-colored roofs.[1] These concrete, two-story structures are modeled after dormitories.[1] The factory buildings have roof lines that are meant to mimic the area's agricultural architecture.[1] The prison industry (UNICOR) was a wood shop for the manufacturing of furniture until being closed down in 2006.[10] Furniture included desks and office chairs.[1] Inmates at the minimum security camp can study to work as landscape gardeners and personal fitness trainers after their release from prison.[18] This is the only federal prison in Oregon.[19]

Notable incidents

In April 2007, federal prosecutors indicted 13 people, including a correction officer, James Stephen Rolen, at FCI Sheridan, on charges involving bribery and conspiracy to smuggle heroin, marijuana and drug paraphernalia into the prison. Mr. Rolen was subsequently convicted and in March 2008 was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release.[20][21]

In March 2012, Rafael Hall, a 24-year-old inmate, died at FCI Sheridan.[22] Hall and 30 other alleged members of the Rolling 60s, a subset of the Crips street gang, were arrested during an anti-gang operation involving the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI in December 2011. Hall was awaiting trial on charges of cocaine distribution and had pleaded not guilty.[23][24] The Yamhill County Medical Examiner subsequently ruled the death a suicide. The charges against Hall were dismissed due to his death.[25]

In late May 2018, 124 asylum seekers were transferred to FDC Sheridan[26] as a part of the Trump administration's "Zero Tolerance" immigration policy. Many had been forcibly separated from their families as a part of the Trump administration family separation policy. For nearly a month, the individuals detained were held in near isolation and were not allowed to contact their families or lawyers.[27] Many of these individuals were forcibly separated from their families, including their children, as a part of the Trump administration family separation policy. As the result of an emergency lawsuit by the ACLU of Oregon, failure to provide access to legal counsel was deemed unconstitutional. As of November 2018, all immigration detainees have been released from FDC Sheridan, the majority of whom were released according to law to live with family, friends, or sponsors as they pursue their asylum claims in immigration court.[28]

Notable inmates (current and former)

Current
Inmate Name Register Number Status Details
Leslie Rogge 13915-004 Now at FCI Butner Serial bank robber; robbed 30 banks of $2 million between 1990 and 1995; Rogge was one of the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives until his capture in 1996.[29]
Robert Gomez 24210-112 Now at FCI Beaumont Convicted in 2003 of orchestrating the Miracle cars scam, in which over 4,000 people bought 7,000 cars that did not exist, losing $21 million; accomplice James Nichols was sentenced to 24 years; the story was featured on the CNBC show American Greed.[30]

Former
Inmate Name Register Number Status Details
Tre Arrow 70936-065 Released from custody in 2009; served a 78-month sentence. Member of the ecoterrorist group Earth Liberation Front; convicted on several arson charges.[31][32]
Russell Cline 67512-065 Released from custody in 2012; served 5 years. Founder of Orion International, a foreign currency trading firm; pleaded in 2004 to mail fraud and money laundering for misappropriating customer funds to pay for personal expenses and pay others who participated in the scheme.[33][34]
Stacey Koon 99752-012 Released from custody in 1995; served 14 months. Former LAPD sergeant; convicted in 1993 of federal civil rights violations in connection with the 1992 beating of Rodney King; his acquittal in state court sparked the 1992 Los Angeles riots.[35]
Tom Anderson

Pete Kott

 15340-006

15407-006

 Released from custody in 2009 and 2011. Former members of the Alaska House of Representatives; convicted of extortion, bribery, conspiracy, and money laundering as a result of the Alaska political corruption probe.[36][37]
Suge Knight 02731-112 Released from Federal Custody August 6, 2001 Convicted for a 1994 Federal Firearms Offense in Las Vegas, entered Federal Custody in May 2001.
Andrew Wiederhorn 67914-065 Released from custody in 2005; served 15 months. Founder of the now-defunct Wilshire Credit Corporation; pleaded guilty in 2004 to giving an illegal gratuity and filing a false tax return; current CEO of the Fatburger restaurant chain.[38][39][40]

See also

References
  1. Mortenson, Eric (May 20, 1989). "Sheridan becomes a prison town". Register-Guard. pp. 1A and 4A. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  2. Associated Press (June 20, 1985). "New federal prison considered at Oregon site". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. C3. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  3. UPI (Jan 2, 1986). "Guard's wife fights federal prison plan". The Bulletin. pp. A5. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  4. "Federal prison approved for Oregon site". Register-Guard. August 16, 1986. pp. 5A. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  5. "Delphian School inspected". Register-Guard. November 2, 1984. p. 5A. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
  6. Associated Press (February 20, 1987). "Decision awaited on prison plan". Register-Guard. pp. 12C. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  7. Associated Press (March 23, 1987). "What will prison do to Sheridan?". Register-Guard. p. 3C. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  8. "Federal prison brings in money to parched Sheridan community". The Oregonian. May 1, 1989.
  9. Painter, Jr. John. Inmates arrive at Oregon's first federal prison. The Oregonian, May 24, 1989.
  10. Lockdown continues at Sheridan prison. The Oregonian, September 6, 1993.
  11. Sheridan prison remains locked down. The Oregonian, September 27, 2003.
  12. Prison staff offers tours of new jail. The Sun, December 7, 1994.
  13. Associated Press (August 16, 1999). "City breathes easier; inmate voting banned". Register-Guard. p. 4C. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  14. Bradbury gives court new map on redistricting. The Oregonian, November 29, 2001.
  15. Hartung v. Bradbury, 332 Or. 570, 33 P.3d 972 (2001)
  16. BOP: Weekly Population Report 03/22/2007. U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved on March 22, 2007.
  17. FCI Sheridan. U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved on March 22, 2007.
  18. Litterick, David (May 27, 2006). "Wall Street life: Swap pinstripes for prison stripes, and you may learn something". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  19. Bella, Rick. Many near prison unconcerned over rioting or future safety. The Oregonian September 4, 1993.
  20. "Prison employees indicted in drug plot | Local & Regional | KATU.com – Portland News, Sports, Traffic Weather and Breaking News – Portland, Oregon". KATU.com. 2007-04-25. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
  21. "Targeted News Service". Targetednews.com. 2008-03-25. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
  22. "Inmate Locator". Bop.gov. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
  24. "31 arrested this weekend in Portland gang sweep". The Oregonian. December 20, 2011.
  25. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-02-02. Retrieved 2012-10-25.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  26. Oregonian/OregonLive, Jeff Manning | The (2018-06-17). "Immigration crackdown brings 123 migrants to Sheridan, outrage from Oregon Democrats". oregonlive. Retrieved 2020-07-16.
  27. "ACLU Files Emergency Lawsuit to Give Detained Immigrants in Oregon Access to Lawyers". American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved 2020-07-16.
  28. "Unprecedented Jailing of Immigrants in Oregon Federal Prison Ends". ACLU of Oregon. 2018-12-07. Retrieved 2020-07-16.
  29. Faulhaber, Patricia (April 23, 2012). "Wanted: The True Story of Leslie Ibsen Rogge". Technorati. Archived from the original on June 22, 2012. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  30. John Phillips (October 30, 2000). "The Miracle Cars – Feature". Car and Driver. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  31. "Tre Arrow to get official sentence today". katu.com. August 12, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
  32. Tomlinson, Stuart (June 4, 2008). "Radical environmentalist Tre Arrow gets 78-month prison term". OregonLive.com. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
  33. Judge tells con man to return millions. The Oregonian, January 12, 2007.
  34. "Release: 5274-07 U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon Enters Final Order against Mastermind of Multimillion Dollar Fraudulent Foreign Currency (Forex) Scam". US Commodity Futures Trading Commission. January 11, 2007. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  35. Newton, Jim (October 13, 1993). "Powell, Koon Surrender to Begin Prison Sentences". Los Angeles Times.
  36. Tom Anderson: Former legislator set to enter Oregon federal prison Dec. 3. Archived 2007-11-15 at the Wayback Machine adn.com. Retrieved on March 22, 2007.
  37. Alaska Star staff (January 16, 2008). "Kott ordered to prison today". Alaska Star. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved 2009-08-20.
  38. Wiederhorn returns as Fog Cutter's chief. The Oregonian, October 13, 2005.
  39. Pomerantz, Dorothy (September 29, 2007). "A Juicy Tale". Forbes. Forbes.com LLC. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  40. Nelson, Laura J. (January 26, 2013). "Fatburger chief executive has the fast-food chain sizzling". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
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