Copyright The Oregonian
What we know about the beating death of Reece Richeson, a 26-year-old held at the Clackamas County Jail on drug and property crime allegations, is appalling. Richeson was brutally assaulted in his jail cell on Oct. 18, allegedly by a cellmate who just a week earlier was accused of an unprovoked attack on another man at the jail. The beating was so intense that other men in the jail hit their emergency call buttons to summon deputies, a defense attorney told The Oregonian/OregonLive’s Noelle Crombie. But it is unclear how soon jail staff responded – one of many questions the sheriff’s office hasn’t answered. By the time deputies removed Richeson from the cell, he was unconscious, Crombie reported. Richeson died at OHSU Hospital three days later. The tragic incident raises red flags about how the jail ensures the safety of those sent there while their cases move through the criminal justice system – the jail’s most basic obligation. Understanding what happened, including why jail officials made the baffling decision to transfer a man already accused of attacking a cellmate into a cell with Richeson, are fundamental to preventing a horrific repeat. But Richeson’s death also raises red flags about the jail’s leadership. What we know about the incident did not come from a timely disclosure by Clackamas County Sheriff Angela Brandenburg, who oversees operations at the jail. In fact, her office did not release any information publicly about the death until Oct. 27, after Crombie, who had independently learned of the incident, published a news story. Instead, Brandenburg is demonstrating both a lack of accountability and a hostility to transparency that appears to put her and her agency’s interests above the public they serve. Clackamas County elected officials should recognize the hit to their own credibility and urge Brandenburg to reverse course. Among the issues: The sheriff’s office has not explained why it held back the news about Richeson’s death for so long. That’s unlike the practice at Multnomah County Jail and the Oregon Department of Corrections which publicly disclose in-custody deaths. The public has a clear interest in knowing whether the jail can adequately perform its job of protecting the health and safety of people who land there, for alleged infractions, big and small. Elected officials show their commitment to accountability not with words but by taking ownership of failures without having to be prompted. Brandenburg also plans “a standard review of jail policies and procedures” as opposed to seeking an independent agency’s evaluation of the jail’s practices. That’s a telltale sign of an organization closing ranks rather than confronting mistakes. The public deserves an objective analysis of any errors that jail officials made, either in judgment or policy, rather than a possibly soft-pedaled assessment by people with a vested stake in the outcome. A “standard review” ignores the severity of what happened and doesn’t assure the public that the jail can prevent a repeat. In fact, the sheriff’s office won’t even answer questions about why it didn’t promptly disclose the death, whether it will change its reporting practices or explain its decision to only review the incident in-house. Instead, spokesman Deputy John Wildhaber told The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board that “this is an active murder investigation. Our priority is ensuring the integrity of the investigation so we can seek justice for the victim and their family.” Investigating a murder has nothing to do with evaluating the agency’s communications policies. Committing to an independent evaluation of the jail’s practices will actually provide greater justice for Richeson’s family. And acknowledging errors will help limit future failures that open the county up to lawsuits. It’s disappointing that none of the county’s other elected officials – neither commissioners nor the district attorney – are publicly urging Brandenburg to seek an outside investigation to uphold the integrity of the county and the criminal justice system. Clackamas County Chair Craig Roberts, who served as sheriff for 16 years and supported Brandenburg to succeed him, should know better than most the importance of ensuring the jail can protect the safety of those awaiting resolution of criminal cases. Unfortunately, he himself promoted a culture of silence that protected employees at the expense of the public. His office for years tolerated the deficient work of a longtime detective who shrugged off child abuse reports, sex assault cases and other crimes, by failing to follow up on suspects, interview victims or send in rape kits for testing. The detective, Jeff Green, eventually pleaded guilty to official misconduct. But even a year after Green’s plea, Roberts had not apologized to victims and showed little effort in restoring the public’s trust. Back in 2020, after Brandenburg was first elected sheriff, she described her philosophy of leadership to the Portland Tribune. “You can’t change the culture without leadership that’s willing to set the example for other people to follow,” she said. Sadly, the example she’s setting appears to be just more of the same. If Clackamas County leaders won’t demand better, voters should.
