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Three Oregon boys overpower staff and escape from MacLaren
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Story by by Aubra Salt - The Oregon Herald
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| MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility ockdown after boys escape | Three young men escape from MacLaren | ||
Authorities say the three young men are considered a risk to themselves and possibly to the general public. They urge anyone who sees them to call 911.
The identity of the boys:
Preston Andrizzi, 19, convicted of second-degree assault in Marion County
Christian Goin, 17, adjudicated for fourth-degree assault in Linn County
Anthony Fitz-Henry, 18, adjudicated for second-degree burglary in Marion County
All are from the Albany and Salem.
MacLaren is Oregon's largest juvenile correctional campus. The facility was placed on lockdown after the boys escaped, and visitation was canceled for the day.
According to spokesperson Sarah Evans, this was the first escape at MacLaren since 2000, when a fence was installed.
In the last 40 years, MacLaren has gone through stages of slow changes and the boys who at one time were at the center for petty crimes or simply being 'wayward' boys who had an assortment of problems or parents who couldn't deal with them, has changed as America itself has changed, where boys now often carry guns and commit felonies.
However, MacLaren is not a prison or jail. Not really. Yeah, there are locks but the nature is a bit different from a prison. Most of the boys are not high risk or hard criminals. The environment, even at the now stricter facility, can help boys learn and adjust to life. Sometimes escaping is simply to get attention for themselves and for other boys at MacLaren . Others are just mean and all too often turn into hard criminals, or even turn into republicans.
How do I know? Easy. When I was 17-years-old, I was at I was at MacLaren for nearly a year. Some of the staff were good men, other staff were cruel and enjoyed getting the boys to fight each other, or they would beat the hell out of a boy back then and get away with it. I imagine human nature has not changed much. Good and bad on both sides.
There are currently about 200 "boys" or "young men" at MacLaren and are held in supervised dormitory cottages, some in single rooms and others in groups, and supervised by on-site staff and security cameras.
MacLaren, by far Oregon's largest juvenile correctional campus with 271 beds, is wrapping up a major upgrade that added the six housing units, updated eight 1960s-era dwellings and remodeled the medical and dental clinic and fitness center.
In 2015 and 2017, the Oregon Legislature spent $99 million for upgrades and maintenance on youth prisons and transitional programs run by the youth authority. KGW TV VIDEO LINK
REFORMED 'INMATE' SPEAKS OUT AT MacLaren
SOME HISTORY
Those spacious windows in the six residential halls are made from detention-grade glass, the hollow steel door frames are reinforced with concrete and the cells are designed to keep those who live here from killing themselves.
RELATED MACLAREN STORIES
| MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility employees honored for excellence (May 18, 2013) |
| Includes Oregon Herald Link and Overview of MacLaren |
| Amos Read, former MacLaren Superindent (1963) |