La GRANDE — The Union County Jail is working to keep the inmate population low as a response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The jail released two inmates who were at or near completion of their sentence and let another four out who were low-level offenders in pretrial status on March 19. 

Concerns about overwhelming the health care system if an outbreak were to occur and about the cost of medical care for inmates were the primary factors in bringing the jail’s population down to 16 inmates, Union County Sheriff Boyd Rasmussen said. 

The jail can hold up to 37 inmates overseen by the Union and Wallowa County criminal justice systems. Having reduced numbers allows for more separation between inmates. 

Union County is in line with other counties, according to Rasmussen, with the jail at 43% of capacity. Baker (31%), Malheur (32%), Grant (26%) and Curry (31%) county jails are all below 50% usage of facilities. Umatilla (68%) and Lincoln (52%) counties are at the highest usage. This is according to a report provided by jail manager Nick Hilter. 

When inmates enter into custody, they are no longer covered by Medicare or Medicaid or Veterans Affairs benefits and the cost falls onto the county. Rasmussen said if an outbreak were to occur, the jail would not be able to cover the expenses, which would include overtime and the medical costs of treating inmates who had COVID-19. He said another reason for the change is to avoid overwhelming the hospital with inmate patients.  

The jail is following recommendations from the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association and is in cooperation and agreement with the Union County District Attorney’s Office and state courts as to which inmates go free.

District Attorney Kelsie McDaniel said the jail has maintained excellent communication with her office regarding the reduction. She cited several reasons efforts have been made to keep down the jail population, including restrictions on police patrols, cutting back on court proceedings and statewide changes to inmate transports.

“While the jail population fluctuates regularly, this is the lowest it has been in years,” McDaniel said.

Rasmussen said the most important factor is the jail continues to house high-risk inmates to keep residents safe.