PORTLAND, Oregon — Anyone arrested in Multnomah County for a felony or misdemeanor offense can now be booked into jail, the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) announced on Tuesday.
The updated policy, which went into effect on Aug. 15, reverses a decision in 2020 that placed limits on booking criteria in jails to try to curb the spread of COVID-19. Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O'Donnell directed MCSO to return to the "open booking" policy.
"During 2021 and 2022, our agency worked with partners to evaluate public safety needs and responded by adjusting booking criteria as needed," the sheriff's office said in a news release. "At the same time, we had the opportunity to rethink how we house adults in custody, how we utilize space within our jails and how we provide services and programming to adults in custody."
RELATED: Washington County ordered to release defendants from jail if public defenders aren't available
MCSO noted that two bills recently signed by Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek are included in the updated booking criteria. One of them, House Bill 2645, allows law enforcement to charge offenders for carrying a gram or more of fentanyl with a misdemeanor. The second, House Bill 2005, makes it illegal to have a firearm without a documented serial number.
The Oregon Health Authority lifted the statewide mask mandate in correctional facilities and health care settings on April 3, 2023.
Download the KGW News app: Download for iPhone here | Download for Android here
Stream newscasts for free on KGW+ on Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV: How to add app to your device here
See a typo in this article? Email web@kgw.com for corrections
