It’s been two years since OHOM was able to offer regular in-person programming at any of the three correctional facilities in which we work. We all know that the prison population across the U.S. have had some of the worst impacts of Covid-19. In the state of Oregon, there have been 45 deaths of incarcerated people that tested positive for Covid-19 and 3 Department of Corrections (DOC) employees. The prisons that OHOM partners with have been on Tier 4 status, meaning the entire institutions were quarantined for much of the winter. This has been a truly harrowing time. Where are we now? 

Since March 13, 2020, our volunteers have been providing support and programming from the outside through written correspondence and video content. There was a brief window last summer in which the CRCI Music Studio was allowed back inside. All volunteers have updated their training to be ready to return as soon as the DOC determines it is safe to do so.

In terms of vaccines, Oregon included incarcerated populations in the first round of vaccinations. This means that the incarcerated population actually had higher vaccine rates than DOC staff until vaccine mandates went into effect. OHOM volunteers will be vaccinated before resuming in-person programming, per DOC’s vaccine mandate.  

Two years since Covid-19 began, with the Omicron surge waning, restrictions appear to be finally lifting.

This past week, on Monday March 7th, in-person programming returned to Columbia River Correctional Institution. Our CRCI Music Studio volunteers jubilantly reconnected with the program participants. We are expecting Coffee Creek and Two Rivers to be resuming soon.