[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6254688,"mediaKeyId","3169731-5f2ec70042d9b23d1baea6104924c3e4","parentId",3169731,"title","OYA PREA coordinator says federal law still in effect despite resource cuts; audits, reporting channels remain in place","audioSeconds",516,"startMs",3722000,"endMs",4238000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3169731-5f2ec70042d9b23d1baea6104924c3e4&start=3722&end=4238","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3169731-5f2ec70042d9b23d1baea6104924c3e4/thumbnail_3722000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6254688/Oregon/OYA-PREA-coordinator-says-federal-law-still-in-effect-despite-resource-cuts-audits-reporting-channels-remain-in-place","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6254688-1a73bd54e66f937203e5f0fd3782a933/orig.mp4?Expires=1770926381&Signature=ZcszV6h~kEn6fIP0ApLddcVyf9KGy~XZbEiTTQsj-UC8wv33Khqwty5jVjO4KdslQ~rfZJa2Recgvj0-Fl1-z8Qfp9RcNA1sGSuVMw5RlC6aS27QFWkneMqTy6~hOVQH7MuC0hnBCKs9vq85p9FYeTpBGnkXBRKm80sQwvS9fX46DP5~IHHQQrpVs4lj43IYeyukVHYsZZIOtA-P7aR-~oxiJByZyShE4AyfibXtD67h78OHuwnVTF4oyQ24FFz5GLTOaqNA2aqiET38P1U~66hCEQjL0Q2~7-WzTIKS-zBEkwN7veXi6TbBxnW-OXCJmRebzOjsl0e6f9dkkTCPAg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon Legislature","date","2025-05-01T00:00:00Z","article","Alicia Goodwin, the Oregon Youth Authority's PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act) coordinator, told the Public Safety Subcommittee on May 1 that the federal PREA law remains in effect and that OYA continues to conduct PREA reviews and prepare for required audits despite recent changes to federal funding for the PREA Resource Center.

Goodwin said PREA reviews operate ‘‘simultaneously and separately’’ from PSO investigations: PSO conducts administrative investigations, and her office conducts PREA reviews that collect mandatory PREA data and may require extended monitoring or referral to criminal investigators. She told the committee that a PSO investigation can be closed internally while a PREA review remains open because PREA reviews track different federal compliance elements and timelines.

Why this matters

PREA sets federal standards for preventing, detecting and responding to sexual abuse and harassment in confinement settings and requires periodic audits of facilities. Goodwin said OYA must audit all nine close-custody facilities within a three-year cycle and that three facilities are audited each year. She said auditors review investigations and PREA reviews for audited facilities and that OYA's audit reports and annual PREA reports are posted on the agency website.

Reporting options and immediate response

Goodwin described multiple ways youth and others can report concerns: facility posters and materials, a complaints hotline that she said typically responds within 24 hours, an electronic complaint form, attorneys, family members, the governor's constituent office and, for staff concerns, the agency's HR and management channels. She said intake coordinators give new arrivals a youth safety guide and reporting-line card, and PREA posters are placed in English and Spanish in visitation areas.

Goodwin also described on-site response capacity: trained on-site teams and compliance staff can respond immediately to preserve evidence and provide victim services when needed. She noted that the PREA Resource Center's federal funding change affects national technical support and auditor certification processes but does not eliminate the statutory PREA obligations.

Data presented

Goodwin summarized that of the aged cases mapped during the agency review, 64 PREA reviews were older than 180 days at one point and that 53 of those were youth-on-youth concerns while 11 were staff-on-youth concerns. She told the committee that, with recent attention and additional resources, the number of older PREA reviews has declined and that she is seeing both aged cases and active PREA reviews close more promptly than in prior months.

Ending

Goodwin said OYA will continue to prepare for its scheduled audits and to post audit and annual PREA reports publicly. Committee members asked follow-up questions about audit scope and certification of auditors; Goodwin said auditors remain under contract for near-term audits and that the agency will continue to comply with federal PREA standards.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Committee On Ways and Means Subcommittee On Public Safety 05/01/2025 8:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","Alicia Goodwin, the Oregon Youth Authority's PREA coordinator, told the Public Safety Subcommittee on May 1 that PREA remains law and that OYA will continue PREA reviews and audits despite changes in federal PREA Resource Center funding.","taxTitle","Public Safety, Ways and Means, Joint, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",18852,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6254694,"Oregon Youth Authority outlines progress on investigation backlog, asks Legislature for $2.4 million and six PSO positions",2911,126000,3037000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3169731-5f2ec70042d9b23d1baea6104924c3e4&start=126&end=3037","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3169731-5f2ec70042d9b23d1baea6104924c3e4/thumbnail_126000.jpg","/articles/6254694/Oregon/Oregon-Youth-Authority-outlines-progress-on-investigation-backlog-asks-Legislature-for-24-million-and-six-PSO-positions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6254694-3f83359c95b677502be7a0e440c0e310/orig.mp4?Expires=1770926381&Signature=Nai~XGw2YpZNBkcW1irv9S2AWRNCEI5wX6rwaIV1wlHCatUw96Lo~PVppHSicHrTH2clFgHwIerIfrOVR4tNLcjtREFli7ypoATQC~VoEorxOPPruxoo~csI6wIRcO3wYFF0rk3J-DF8QZg7~xhjXNccYom1BTQHnIUpYpQHWhg-OLNNNxzqsebTCqJ0ccflfMEW1JraYUoqEu0I6uP0AKNi4oYa-BGwltbv6QkAQBpTXaT~KD8jAUdDMl3Qktt9hJ91-hNjM3Zq~qH7-V8WYS5g6vsrgIe9XY1VSTMBp7aS650oCg7ptvswcSYY8x9CRnfSav3RZILKqG4law4xzQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Interim Oregon Youth Authority Director Jana McClellan told the Public Safety Subcommittee on May 1 that the agency's Professional Standards Office (PSO) has stabilized leadership, improved case tracking, and prioritized \"aged\" investigations opened more than 180 days ago, while asking the Legislature for emergency funding for six positions valued at $2,400,000 for the next biennium.

McClellan said PSO \"can now easily show the work it is doing and the outstanding work left to be done on aged cases,\" and described steps taken since she assumed leadership of the effort in February, including hiring temporary investigators, standardizing weekly case-status reports and assigning aged cases to investigative teams.

The update matters because the agency reported 508 known aged cases as of April 25, down from earlier counts the director cited in February, and because many of those cases remain open pending additional investigative work or partner-agency disposition. McClellan told the committee the agency has closed roughly 250 aged and recent cases since Feb. 14 and that a larger set of cases remains to be signed off by the PSO chief investigator.

PSO improvements and staffing

Ken Jeske, interim PSO chief investigator, described operational fixes behind the update. He said the office now runs real-time reports differentiating cases by age and status, has assigned teams to aged cases, and is holding regular coordination meetings with partner agencies including the Oregon State Police and the Department of Human Services to resolve suspended cases. Jeske also told legislators that the PSO uses two timelines for investigations: hotline-level complaints typically have a 30-day target, and full investigations a 60-day target, though cases may be suspended while law enforcement conducts parallel inquiries.

The agency asked the Legislature to fund six positions: three investigators (two limited-duration to clear aged cases and one permanent screener), a deputy chief investigator, an HR analyst, and an unspecified sixth role. McClellan said the requested six positions total $2,400,000 for the next biennium and that the governor's office has supported the request.

Technology, oversight and workplace expectations

McClellan and Jeske described an older administrative investigative management system (AIM) that hindered oversight because reports had not been produced routinely; staff have been working to extract data and build weekly dashboards. The OYA also expects PSO investigators to be present in offices and facilities more frequently to support supervision and relationship-building; McClellan said investigators currently are required to be in the office about three days per week and to be present in facilities for certain investigative work.

Committee members pressed the agency on how cases are prioritized. Jeske said investigators have flagged cases for severity and that the office is implementing data fields that allow reports to identify cases with documentation gaps, lower-level recordkeeping problems and cases that may indicate significant failures with potential for youth harm. McClellan said some suspended cases reflect partner-agency jurisdiction (for example, Oregon State Police investigations) and that those cases remain in suspended status until partners complete their work.

External oversight and next steps

McClellan told the committee the agency has reestablished monthly meetings between PSO leadership and investigative partners and has scheduled quarterly meetings between the PSO chief investigator and the governor's office. She said the agency has created a Safety Task Force, to be co-led by a newly appointed youth and family advocate who reports to the governor, and that the Secretary of State plans a youth-safety audit in 2025.

The PSO funding request and the described operational changes do not include any formal legislative action during the hearing; lawmakers signaled interest and asked follow-up questions. McClellan and Jeske said additional work remains to set explicit closure-rate targets informed by the newly available data.

Ending

Committee members indicated they will consider the funding request and follow the agency's ongoing reporting. McClellan said the agency will provide regular updates to the safety task force and the committee as it implements staffing, tracking and oversight changes.","At a May 1 Public Safety Subcommittee hearing, Oregon Youth Authority Interim Director Jana McClellan and interim PSO Chief Investigator Ken Jeske described steps to address an investigation backlog in the agency's Professional Standards Office, and requested emergency funding for six positions totaling $2.4 million in the next biennium.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6254684,"OYA says hiring reforms and program mix shape youth population and costs; average stays rising since COVID",947,4319000,5266000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3169731-5f2ec70042d9b23d1baea6104924c3e4&start=4319&end=5266","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3169731-5f2ec70042d9b23d1baea6104924c3e4/thumbnail_4319000.jpg","/articles/6254684/Oregon/OYA-says-hiring-reforms-and-program-mix-shape-youth-population-and-costs-average-stays-rising-since-COVID","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6254684-c08d72366fdd81856c970d57ba6fb3c2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770926381&Signature=D6tvGzeMYXmQnc4BeLlQO2wSIySUFTjZwp6vcM~Q4FbF5RfZplIisBbERdsrXsAMma~znQgBBoym8hWdYx004sHLZ3v319abChJcAoI2VcWNFXPu5WF3RPyPyQrWJD90I4mwufbV9nnarJha~5E1LXkfMMIf4dTrpoYk5k~a-x~6CYOMVX3Is9M5jEz-LmWYvUrsppXiqr-P9Wof~7CWy-sj~Gs4maFsYVxdv5dhNvIRdCuFW1bi-uzebL64rSZTh0qhkXmk4p2JUW429X1IPG7urgptbw4ZCLJnORU-m9oNIb3XZc4bdiFGMT6JrSnahAx0zvFvTOGetZPOFyIGSQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Interim Oregon Youth Authority Director Jana McClellan and Assistant Director Sandra Santos told the Public Safety Subcommittee on May 1 that OYA is tightening recruitment timelines, tracking demographic goals for hires, and that population drivers including parole revocations and length of stay are key cost drivers for the agency.

McClellan said the agency will move to a three-week open recruitment period for most positions beginning June 1 to broaden applicant pools and improve hiring outcomes. She emphasized using behavioral-based interview questions to assess candidates' ability to work with high-acuity youth and highlighted the agency's statutory charge to consider demographic disparities between adjudicated youth and staff when hiring.

Population, revocations and length of stay

Assistant Director Sandra Santos outlined how youth typically enter OYA custody: counties refer youth to OYA after exhausting community-based resources, local staffings and court disposition determine commitment, and some youth enter OYA because of parole revocations. Santos said that revocations often follow multiple interventions and supervisory review; on average the agency provides several community interventions before revocation, and revocations are approved by supervisors.

McClellan said on Jan. 1 the agency served 888 youth overall, with 513 in community supervision (probation and parole) and 375 in close-custody facilities. She reported 245 new intakes to facilities in 2024 and 365 new placements in community programs that year, and said about one-third of 2024 facility intakes were parole revocations.

Cost and capacity

McClellan presented per-bed cost figures the agency uses for planning. She said OYA's most expensive community placement is a residential psychiatric treatment setting and the least expensive is foster care. She reported average per-bed costs in close custody and camp settings and noted that Oregon's per-bed figures are near comparator states. The agency also reported a longer average length of stay for some groups and said juvenile commitments' average length of stay increased relative to a prior decade trend.

Why it matters

Longer lengths of stay and higher-intensity placements raise per-youth costs and affect bed availability for unplanned intakes. McClellan told the committee that workforce stabilization is central to supporting youth safety and that high staff turnover and mandatory overtime can exacerbate staffing shortages.

Ending

Lawmakers asked follow-up questions about certification and record-sharing when employees resign in lieu of termination; agency leaders said they would follow up with details. McClellan and Santos said they would continue to provide data to the committee and that recruitment and workforce-stabilization efforts are ongoing.","Oregon Youth Authority told the Public Safety Subcommittee that it is changing recruitment practices to stabilize staff, described how youth enter and exit the system, and shared bed-cost figures and population counts that influence daily operating costs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

OYA PREA coordinator says federal law still in effect despite resource cuts; audits, reporting channels remain in place

Oregon Youth Authority outlines progress on investigation backlog, asks Legislature for $2.4 million and six PSO positions

OYA says hiring reforms and program mix shape youth population and costs; average stays rising since COVID