Associated Press
HILLSBORO, Ore. — A grand jury report says the Washington County jail system must do a better job of tracking inmates who leave on day passes.
State law requires grand jurors selected at random to inspect county jails each year and issue a report. This year’s Washington County inspection came after an inmate, Eric Petersen, was charged with fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend after receiving a pass to look for work. Petersen has pleaded not guilty.
The jurors wrote that there seems to be a “permeating sense of leniency” at the Community Corrections Center and that puts the public at risk.
Corrections center Director Steve Berger said in a written statement to The Oregonian that the jail is considering additional ways of tracking inmates, such as with GPS devices.