Sorry to hear that.maybe the state should impose a small sales tax. When I was there in the 80’s there wasn’t a sales tax so all the people from Wa would come accross the border and buy things. Then there was Wa where there wasn’t any state income tax. I know taxes aren’t popular but a sales tax could be imposed. Here in Ne there is state income tax and sales tax but some things are exempt like food and other neccessities. It seems to me that the state government is placing the public in jeopardy by cutting back on security. I remember Marion County releasing dozens of inmates in 87 because of overcrowding. I used to live just off of “felony flats” when Diane Downs escaped. I gotta tell myou I was really considering retiring to OR or WA in 6 years. Maybe I’ll have to stay here. We just hired 11 new officers for our jail. Doesn’t OR have some kind of universal health care in that state?

Well Squeeze, I can tell you OSCI is still running, as is SCCI down at North Bend. Oregon just passed two emergency measures, 66 & 67, to help defray the budget downfalls we all have been feeling. Yes, furlough days are in place, with the majority of DOC staff taking 14 furloughs between January ‘10 and July ’11. Managers have been taking furloughs since March of ’09. While we may be safe from closures for the next 18 months, we are going to have to be very prudent with our costs to avoid future threats to our financial stability. With some good luck and a return of a stable economy we may get thru to a semblance of a retirement. But I’m not holding my breath.

Sorry to hear that. One of my best friends just retired in Pottowattamie County on the Iowa side of the river and moved to Corvalis. She was hoping to get employement there as her husband is retired sheriff capt from Ne. Iowa isn’t doing too bad on their state budgets either. Seems like the lesser populated staes aren’t as hard hit as the coasts states.

It definitly not easy right now… I am down in Marion County at Oregon Youth Authority and have a lot of clients come from Washington county. And yes the facility in Coos Bay is still open, but who know’s how long. With these tax measures we might be safe through the next biennium.

Wow. Doesn’t make sense. Where is your facility? I worked for a year at OSCI in Salem back in 87-88 before going back to Wa then back to Ne. Is the facility in Coos Bay still open? We just took back an officer who was working in Washington County Oregon. I still have alot of friends in Corvallis, Multnomah, Astoria. It must really be tough there.

I work in juvenile corrections in Oregon and we were hit pretty bad. Our new (4 years old) 56 bed facility was cut down to 32 beds and 4 of us were laidoff. I moved to youth correctional facility and we are facing layoffs again. Fortunatly voters passed a two tax measures yesterday that will help keep funding for school and public safety jobs. We do have Furlough days that are just crazy! 92 hours total. I’m a 50% emplyee and each time I put in a furlough day I only get credit for 4 hours. It makes no sense, since I work 40 hours weeks and take an entire day off, I still only get 4 hours credit! Were fighting it but it seems like a losing battle. So instead we pay someone OT to work our furlough days! We don’t save money… Seems like we spend more of it!

So far here in Nebraska we haven’t been hurt as bad as some other states. I can’t talk for the state system although they have cut a few positions but no one I know has lost their job. As for the county I work for (largest in Ne) we haven’t lost anything but we have cut back on housing units and packed our inmates in leaving fewer housing options. We came in under budget by driving our housing by budget not classification. Ouir state also requires that we have a balanced budget. I’m from, used to live/work in Washington in corrections and I know you guys are having problems. I sympathize with your circumstances. It really is up to your state politicians to cut your state budget in other places and get that money to public safety/ corrections. Maybe some alternative corrections.

In Washington, three stand alone minimums will be closed, have of one prison and one wing of another for this year. Last year we closed four units in various different prisons. There has been about a hundred and forty probation jobs cut with more to come. Now they are talking about furloughs on top of that. Times are tough for sure

I am curious about the effects of this economy in other states. I know Washington has taken a pretty big hit to their budget. Here in Idaho we have lost quite a bit of our budget and a few positions. Our biggest hits have been with Furloughs. Probation and Parole Officers are all taing 72 hours leave without pay and corrections officers are all taking 28 hours leave without pay.