Snake River Correctional Institution


Snake River Correctional Institution is a medium security prison in eastern Oregon, the largest facility in the Oregon Department of Corrections system. It is located in northeastern Malheur County, about five miles northwest of the city of Ontario.

History

The state's prison siting committee selected the Ontario site in October 1989 for a medium security prison that could house up to 3,000 inmates, which then Governor Neil Goldschmidt approved later in the month. SRCI opened in August 1991 with 576 medium and 72 minimum security beds. In 1994, the Oregon Legislature approved a $175 million expansion which was completed in 1998. The expansion was built by Hoffman Construction. At the time, it was the largest public works project in the state's history.

Operations

Currently, the prison houses 2,336 medium security beds, 154 minimum security beds, and 510 beds in specialized units such as administrative segregation, disciplinary segregation, intensive management, and the infirmary/hospice. It is staffed by approximately 900 employees.
Among the prison industries housed at Snake River are a commercial call center, a metal shop that manufactures road signs for the state, and a building trades program that manufactures small modular structures such as comfort stations and gatehouses for the state parks.