Skip to main content

Oregon State Flag An official website of the State of Oregon »

Oregon.gov Homepage

Frequently Asked Questions

Victim Services FAQ

Questions

Select a question to expand the box and read the answer.

​A: You may locate an individual sentenced to the Oregon Department of Corrections by searching through the VISOR website.  ​

You may also use the online Oregon Offender Search Tool.

​A: Yes. There are two ways crime victims can register for notification of an individuals release from prison.

  1. You may register with the Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision:
    • ​To register by email, contact DLParoleBoardVictimNotify@doc.state.or.us.
    • To register by phone, please call (503) 945-0907.
    • ​To register by mail, write to:
      Victim Registration Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision
      2575 Center Street NE, Suite 100
      Salem, Oregon 97301

  2. ​To register with the Oregon VISOR Service, please register online at VISOR.​

​A: Generally speaking, a detainer is a type of hold where one jurisdiction, such as a local county, has untried criminal cases against an offender who is currently incarcerated in Department of Corrections (DOC). The jurisdiction in question will obtain and issue a "detainer" instructing DOC to release the offender to their custody upon release, instead of releasing the offender to Community Corrections. 

However, there are some untried detainers that are considered minor, such as misdemeanor detainers, which in some cases will allow the offender to parole to Community Corrections, upon their projected release date, where the minor detainer will be resolved. 

In many cases, an untried detainer may be resolved while the offender is still incarcerated within the DOC, and in some of those cases, a prison sentence from the trial may be ran concurrent with the offender's current incarceration. If so, the offender may be released from DOC upon their projected release date to Community Corrections—because the detainer was resolved prior to their projected release date.

​A: Oregon Department of Corrections may provide crime victims/survivors the opportunity for a structured face-to-face facilitated meeting with the individual who harmed them, but both parties must meet program eligibility criteria. These meetings take place in a secure and safe environment, and the facilitators assist victims/survivors in working through the impact of the crime. For more information, please see the “Facilitated Dialogue​” section or contact Oregon Department of Corrections Victim Services at (888) 749-8080.​

​A: If you are being harassed, threatened and/or receiving unwanted communication of any kind from an adult in custody in an Oregon DOC facility, please contact the superintendent’s office at the facility where the individual is located, and request that all contact from the AIC cease. DOC staff will assist you in halting contact.​

​A: When an offender is released from a correctional institution to community supervision, the offender must report to a Community Corrections Parole & Probation Officer. The parole officer's responsibilities are to enforce the rules of supervision, and to assist the offender in a successful reintegration back into the community. 

If the offender violates the rules of supervision, they may be placed in jail while the parole officer investigates the violation. A serious violation may result in revocation, which means the offender may be returned to prison. If the violation does not result in revocation, the parole officer may take other actions such as imposing new supervision rules or require the offender to participate in additional treatment or counseling.​

A: Short-Term Transitional Leave, or STTL, provides certain offenders incarcerated within the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) the opportunity to release from physical custody up to 30, 60, 90, or 120 days early, provided they meet statutory and DOC rule eligibility requirements. 

Eligibility Requirements include, but are not limited to: 

1. Crime must qualify (ORS 421.168, OAR 291.063, 2017 HB3078​​)

2. Offender must:
  • Have approved housing upon release
  • Have no detainers
  • Be minimum custody upon release to STTL
  • Have clear conduct while incarcerated in prison
  • Have no level 1 or 2 misconduct reports within 15 months of projected release date
Violations that will revoke STTL include, but are not limited to: 

1. Offender:
  • Loses approved housing and cannot obtain other approved housing
  • Commits a new crime (case by case)
  • Makes contact with the victim of their crime(s)
  • Has ongoing non-compliance
  • Stops reporting to Probation Officer (case by case)

A: Six months to release:

  • Adults in custody attend a pre-release program, and depending on their institution, the program may include subjects such as employme​nt, housing, money management, obtaining credit/loans, working with parole officers, and family related issues
  • Behavior Health Services completes release planning, if applicable

Four to six months to release:

  • Release Counselor interviews the individual to discuss housing, transportation, employment skills, job opportunities and if applicable, the process for county waivers and/or Interstate Compact
  • Release Counselor prepares release plan, sends to Parole Board and Community Corrections

Sex offender and arsonists:

  • Release Counselor presents the AIC with Sex Offender Registration Obligation Notice, which is signed and forwarded to the Oregon State Police, or
  • Release Counselor prepares Arson Notification form, which is forwarded to the State Fire Marshall and Oregon State Police
  • Release Counselor will work with other DOC parties such as Behavior Health Services, Health Services, and/or a Re-entry Coordinator to plan for the AICs needs post-release

75 days or less to release:

  • Release Counselor checks with Community Corrections regarding the status of the Field Investigation. The AIC is notified of the results
  • Parole Officer may conduct a reach-in visit to discuss expectations/reduce AIC anxiety

30 days to release:

  • Re-entry Benefits Coordinator meets with the AIC to sign up for Health Coverage

1 to 2 weeks to release:

  • Release Counselor verifies projected release date and finalizes transportation
  • Release Counselor requests AIC funds from Central Trust
  • Detainers are verified. In some cases, individuals may be presented with a Cite to Appear
  • Parole Board issues the order of Post-Prison Supervision
  • Release Counselor meets with AICs to review Post-Prison-Supervision order

Day of release:

  • The adult in custody is released from prison with specific instructions to meet with their Parole & Probation Officer (PPO)
  • After their first meeting, the AIC may be assigned to another Parole & Probation Officer
  • If the AIC has an unresolved and active detainer upon release, they will release from DOC's custody, but may be detained by the jurisdiction in which the detainer was created.​​

​A: Please contact the Oregon Department of Corrections Visiting Services​.​

​A: An inmate in the Oregon Department of Corrections may be placed into “Institution Based Records Office” for many reasons, but the most common reason is when an inmate has a hearing, trial or resentencing hearing at a county jail. When this occurs, the Oregon Department of Corrections will place the inmate’s record in “IBRO” while the inmate is being housed in a different jurisdiction. When the inmate returns to the Oregon Department of Corrections, his location will change from “IBRO” to the current facility in which he returned to.