[You can read all of the Mercury’s “Top Stories of 2021” here.—eds] The local and state criminal justice sector spent 2021 stretched between reacting to a global pandemic and calls for reform. Many of the issues it began to address will require years of commitment to see through, while others—like casually ending the death penalty—seemed to happen overnight. COVID-19 in Jail: Multnomah County’s Inverness Jail kicked off the new year with a surging COVID-19 outbreak.
25 in Portland jail custody test positive for COVID-19
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Officials confirmed Tuesday that another COVID-19 outbreak at Multnomah County’s Inverness Jail has infected 25 people in custody in the past month.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports inmates from the Northeast Portland jail were not taken to their court appearances Monday because of the outbreak, according to written notices posted at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse.
Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Chris Liedle says the outbreak started May 23 when a person lodged at Inverness who had been showing COVID-19 symptoms tested positive.
Liedle said almost all those who have since tested positive have had mild or no symptoms. One inmate was hospitalized, Liedle said, but is now back in jail.