A man in custody with the Oregon Department of Corrections walked away from a work crew in southeast Salem on Monday, and has not been found.
T.J. H. Bennett, 44, was part of a city of Salem crew working close to the corner of Southeast 46th Place. and Southeast Red Cherry Court. A DOC statement said he walked away at around 3 p.m.
The statement described Bennett as a white male, weighing 165 lbs, 5’ 8”, with hazel eyes and brown hair. He was last seen wearing a blue shirt, an orange vest and blue jeans.
The DOC’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit is working with state police to locate Bennett.
Bennett began serving a sentence for first-degree burglary last October at Santiam Correctional Institution, a minimum-security prison in Salem.
The facility is for people within four years of release and focuses on providing work opportunities, which are often work crews with state agencies or local organizations within 60 miles of Salem.
The DOC said in a statement people should not approach Bennett if seen.
People with information about Bennett’s location can call state police at 1-800-452-7888 or the Fugitive Apprehension Unit at 503-569-0734. People can also call Salem police’s non-emergency number, 503-588-6123.
Contact reporter Madeleine Moore: [email protected].
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Madeleine Moore is working as a reporter at Salem Reporter through the University of Oregon’s Charles Snowden internship program. She came to Salem after graduating from the University of Oregon in June 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
