After a one-year decline, inmate deaths are surging in Multnomah County jails again. The increase comes after Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell promised safety and health care reforms following 10 inmate deaths in 2022 and 2023.
Three inmates have died in Multnomah County jails this year, compared to just one in all of 2024. The most recent death was 51-year-old Chad Williams Scott. He was booked into custody on Aug. 15 and died in Inverness Jail in Northeast Portland the next day.
The cause of death has not been released. The sheriff’s office, which operates the jails, declined further comment.
Before that, a 35-year-old male inmate was discovered unresponsive at the downtown Multnomah County Detention Center on Feb. 13 and died in the hospital the next day. The second death of the year was a 49-year-old woman who died in Inverness Jail on May 1.
The increase alarms advocates for inmates and their families because reforms have been underway. After the 2022 and 2023 deaths, the sheriff’s office requested an external analysis that was released in January 2024. It was conducted and written by Margaret Severson, an expert with the National Institute of Corrections.
Severson’s report identified significant health care and operational issues with the jail system, such as departments failing to work together, overuse of isolation for people with mental-health problems, insufficient staffing, and lax policies and practices that likely contribute to contraband getting into the jail. It made 36 recommendations for improvement, which O’Donnell promised to take seriously.
Medical examiner records released for most of the deaths revealed that three were suicides, three were caused by drug overdoses and three were caused by medical complications.
“It is clear we have significant areas…we need to address to ensure the safety, security and wellbeing of adults in our custody,” Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell said at the time.
By January of this year, reforms were underway. Among other things, the county has replaced the corrections health director and the director of nursing. A new medical director has just been hired to replace the one who resigned after only 19 months in office.
But after the second death, the Ross Law Firm in Portland issued a statement which read:
“This is a troubling continuation of a pattern that has plagued the Multnomah County Jail for years. Following a staggering ten inmate deaths in 2022 and 2023, many advocates had hoped recent reforms would improve conditions. While fatalities declined to one in 2024, the woman’s death signals that underlying issues remain unresolved.
“These deaths point to a jail system under profound strain due to reduced staffing and limited resources. The departure of the medical director of the county department overseeing inmate health after just 19 months further underscores the instability and challenges in providing adequate care to incarcerated individuals.”
Scathing grand jury report
Last December, a Multnomah County Corrections grand jury released a scathing report about the county jail system.
“The Multnomah County jail system is in crisis and at risk of jeopardizing public health and safety,” read the report which highlighted two ongoing problems: short-staffing and aging facilities.
The report also criticized a lack of accountability in the county’s human resources department (HR), saying, “The primary issue lies in the HR’s hiring process and underfunding for HR staff.”
Both the Inverness Jail and Multnomah County Detention Center are aging rapidly, the report said. It recommended the county create an “interdepartmental staffing task force” and start work on a feasibility study to replace them.