SURVEY OF INMATES REVEALS 'STAGGERING' METH NUMBERS

Study Also Shows That Many In County Jail Are Parents

Nearly 75 percent of Marion County jail inmates have used
methamphetamine.About 40 percent of inmates are in jail as a direct
result of the drug: possession, manufacturing, delivery or stealing
to get the cash to buy it.

Many fall below the poverty line. More than half have never had
employer-paid benefits, have no high-school diploma and at times have
had no home.

What they do have is children. About 15,000 children annually, maybe
more, have parents who were or are incarcerated at the Marion County jail.

"That's a lot of kids," said Dr. William Brown, an associate
professor at Western Oregon University who surveyed the jail
population. His goal was to gain a clearer picture of inmates and the
impact that methamphetamine is having on the criminal-justice system,
social services and families.

Brown, the director of the Northwest regional office of the Center on
Juvenile & Criminal Justice, surveyed 442 inmates, about 76 percent
of the population, one day in July. Now, he and student volunteers
are back to get in-depth answers. Their follow-up results, due in
January, will be used to understand the issues and measure success of
a new program aimed at helping inmate parents.

The Children of Incarcerated Parents program began at the jail in the fall.

"The ultimate (question) is how do we protect our children, and part
of that is making sure the parents that are coming through the
criminal-justice system leave with the tools and knowledge necessary
to be better parents," said Marion County Sheriff Raul Ramirez.

Children of Incarcerated Parents, a program similar to one in 13
Oregon prisons, began at the jail in October with twice-weekly
classes for parents. The 12-week class graduated its first group on Wednesday.

Based on the survey and other information, Ramirez said, the meth
problem is being magnified by the need for housing, employment,
education, parenting skills and drug treatment.

Brown and the sheriff's office are working with businesses, social
services and groups such as No Meth -- Not in My Neighborhood, to
address housing, employment and drug-treatment options.

Many of the resources already exist in the community. It's just a
matter of connecting people to them, Ramirez said. This program does
not change accountability, Ramirez said, and it's not meant to be
soft on criminals. Those involved still are expected to pay for their
crimes, complete their sentences and follow the rules of their probation.

Brown said his survey was like an X-ray to show the extent of the problem.

About 81 percent of those surveyed were men. Some were parents, but
the survey wasn't limited to them. About 34 percent were unemployed
at the time they were jailed. Another 50 percent had jobs that paid
less than $1,500 per month, and 25 percent had jobs that paid less
than $1,000 per month.

"They're in a very, very precarious situation here, as far as
survival goes," Brown said.

The sheriff was surprised by how many parents, especially mothers,
had used methamphetamine. About 94 percent of mothers and 76 percent
of fathers said that they had used the drug.

"We know that we had issues, but those numbers are just staggering,"
Ramirez said.

Very alarming, Brown said, are family criminal histories.

"There are patterns here that obviously need some kind of
addressing," Brown said.

Twenty-seven percent of inmates said their fathers had spent time in
prison, and 50 percent said their fathers had been in jail. Five
percent of inmates said their mothers had spent time in prison, and
18 percent said their moms had been in jail. Far higher numbers of
inmates reported that their siblings had been incarcerated.

"If you stretch this out 15 to 18 years from now, the brothers and
sisters are going to be the mothers and fathers," Brown said. "You
can see the trajectory moving upward."

The next step in the survey is to ask why, Brown said. Why did the
inmates not graduate from high school? Why are they doing drugs? Why
do they keep using at the expense of their children?

The answers, and a repeat of the initial survey next July, will make
the results more credible, Brown said.

Knowing what he knows so far, "warehousing" people in jail is not a
solution, Ramirez said. "We either do something about it, or the
problem is not going to go away," Ramirez said. "I think this is an
opportunity to provide that support. We can turn a negative situation
into a positive outcome for the kids," Ramirez added. "I want the
sheriff's office to take a more proactive approach in problem
solving, rather than just reacting."