ALBANY, Ore. — Last spring, one of the Linn County Jail’s 231 cell doors opened on its own in the middle of the night.
Instead of contacting a deputy on the in-house intercom system, an inmate walked out of the cell and sat down in the recreation room until he was found by a deputy.
No one was injured, Sheriff Jim Yon said, and the inmate didn’t face any additional charges.
But Yon said the jail cannot continue to operate safely with 30-year-old technology controlling the 400-plus doors within the complex.
That’s why an extensive renovation began Feb. 4 and is expected to last more than two months.
“We have tried upgrading the current system several times over the years,” he said. “The problem is that our system is analog and the new technology is digital and it just doesn’t mesh.”
The metal doors within the jail will remain, but the electronics that control them are being replaced, as are the outdated intercom and video systems.
“Our video system is of extremely poor quality,” Yon said. “Today, we need high-definition video that will show everything clearly. We need it to protect our inmates and our staff, if someone makes a charge against them.”
The intercom system is vital because deputies need to keep constant contact with inmates.
The new system will cost about $1.1 million and comes from Accurate Electric in Vancouver. Siemens Industry is the project manager and is installing the cameras.
“Our old system came from a company in Alabama,” Yon said, noting that it would be an advantage to have a system from a vendor in Vancouver.
Commander Ted Langley said several staff members visited the company headquarters in Washington, where they were able to work on a mock-up of the local project.
“They got to use it and troubleshoot on the spot,” Langley said. “Changes were made right there.”
Langley said staff also toured the jail in Klamath County, which is also undergoing an upgrade, and Yamhill County Jail, where an update will begin soon.
