Oregon State Penitentiary (Courtesy/Wikimedia Commons)
The Oregon State Penitentiary’s superintendent has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by the state Corrections Department’s human resources department.
Brandon Kelly has been the prison’s superintendent since 2016. The Oregon State Penitentiary is the oldest and only maximum-security prison operated by the Corrections Department. As of Aug. 1, the prison held 1,559 people.
Jen Black, agency spokeswoman, said Thursday that she couldn’t provide details on what the investigation was regarding. She said human resources investigations concern conduct between department employees, not between employees and people in prison.
“We typically duty station at home to, in part, protect the employee and to protect the integrity of an ongoing investigation,” she said in an email. “Duty station at home” is the department’s term for administrative leave.
Kelly declined to comment when reached by Salem Reporter.
He will continue to receive his $14,238 monthly salary.
Kelly started with the Corrections Department in 1997 as a correctional officer at the state prison.
On Monday, Corey Fhuere will start as the acting superintendent.
-Saphara Harrell
