Oregon Youth Authority Becomes 2nd Agency To Pull Out Of NORCOR

By Kristian Foden-Vencil

Published December 8, 2017 at 1:22 PM PST

A second jurisdiction has announced it’ll no longer send children to a juvenile detention facility in The Dalles.

The Oregon Youth Authority confirmed Friday it’s taking the action after a report of “psychologically harmful conditions” at the Northern Oregon Regional Corrections Facility.

The report by Disability Rights Oregon found NORCOR deprived kids of human contact and the tools for healthy development.

Wasco County announced Thursday it would stop sending children to NORCOR because of the report.

Benjamin Chambers with the Oregon Youth Authority said the report is troubling.

“Some of the allegations in the report are certainly concerning because they suggest that the approach is far more focused on punishment than on rehabilitation,” Chambers said.

But he stressed the state believes NORCOR is committed to fixing the problems.

“We’ve already been in communication with them about how we can be a resource to help them address the concerns to everybody’s satisfaction,” Chambers said.

NORCOR said it is making changes to improve the experience for juveniles and it hopes to continue contracts with government agencies.

<p>Detainees told the report author that the only reading matter allowed in cells was a bible.</p> — Detainees told the report author that the only reading matter allowed in cells was a bible.