MacLaren unveils six new housing units at ribbon-cutting

The units, which reflect a therapeutic approach to incarceration, come in time for Hillcrest closure

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The six new housing units recently completed at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Woodburn don't look like they belong to a prison.

Featuring large windows, colorful murals, enclosed courtyards and spacious common rooms, the buildings wouldn't look out of place on a modern high school or college campus.

That wasn't an accident. The new facilities, which were celebrated at a Sept. 12 ribbon-cutting ceremony, are designed to create what Oregon Youth Authority officials call "normative environments," spaces that don't feel punitive and provide a sense of normalcy to the youths they house.

Those normative spaces play an important role in the agency's mission of encouraging reformation in incarcerated youths, according to OYA officials.

"The transformation of their physical environment connects with other positive changes," said Dan Berger, the superintendent of MacLaren.

At the ribbon-cutting, OYA officials, MacLaren employees and politicians highlighted the way that the new housing units, along with the recent renovations of several other MacLaren facilities, allow MacLaren's physical spaces to align with OYA's overarching philosophy of reform-based incarceration.

The new units were opened simultaneous to the consolidation of MacLaren with Hillcrest Youth Correctional Facility in Salem. As of Sept. 1, all of the youth, staff and programs from Hillcrest have been relocated to MacLaren. Hillcrest is now closed.

Four of the new units house youth and staff who came to MacLaren from Hillcrest.

Hillcrest and MacLaren were OYA's two largest facilities. As OYA's acting director Joseph O'Leary said at the ribbon-cutting, for OYA, the consolidation was a big deal, on the scale of combining the University of Oregon with Oregon State University.

The consolidation, along with the building of new facilities and the renovation of many of MacLaren's older facilities, was outlined in the 10-year plan facilities plan that was proposed by OYA and approved by the state Legislature in 2015.

That plan emphasized the need to create environments at OYA facilities more in line with OYA's philosophies.

Along with the new facilities, the ribbon-cutting unveiled a newly renovated medical and dental clinic, an intake center, a fitness center and a new treatment mall. All of the spaces are designed to mimic facilities the youths might experience out in the community. For example, the medical and dental clinic is designed to look like a typical doctor's office, featuring a waiting room, check-in desk and individual examination rooms.

But the crowning achievement at the ceremony were the Courtyard units, the six new housing units that were designed with the latest research on positive human development in mind. The units cost a total $25.6 million.

They house OYA's highest-need youths along with its newest youths, replacing Mac-Laren's Geer facility that was built in the 1950s.

OYA Facilities Director Rex Emery said the old units had tiny slotted windows, tight spaces, and few single-occupancy rooms. They were a relic from a time when Oregon had a different view of how incarcerated youth should be housed.

"They were not at all aligned with positive human development," Emery said of the old units.

The overarching philosophy of OYA is that therapeutic approaches are more effective at reducing youth recidivism than punitive ones.

The new facilities reflect that, with lots of their design features reflecting research on what environments are most therapeutic to youths.

Because research shows that natural settings can alleviate the effects of children's exposure to chronic stress, the new units include lots of windows. That allows the youths to experience nature even when they're indoors. According to OYA, research shows that natural settings can alleviate the effects of children's exposure to chronic stress.

The lighting in the units now feature phasing mimicking the natural progression of light during the day, which helps the youths' sleep cycles and also reduces energy usage in the buildings.

And sound was a big consideration in units like Rockaway, which houses the University of Life program for youths who have experienced complex trauma. Slamming doors and other loud noises can be triggering for youths with PTSD, so the design of the units prevents the traveling of sound.

All six of the new units house 16 youths. That's significantly less than MacLaren's other units, which house 25 youths each. That allows for a higher staff-to-youth ratio, which OYA says will allow for more guidance for the higher-needs youths the units will house.

And all of the youths housed in the units will have their own rooms. The individual rooms are designed to allow the youth more privacy and a quiet place to calm down.

And each of the new units features a mural designed by artist Blaine Fontana in collaboration with MacLaren youths. Each of the murals has a theme that reflects MacLaren values: honor, respect, commitment, courage, integrity and strength. The murals all include elements from nature and multicultural references.

MacLaren youth Justin, 22, helped design the mural for the Rockaway unit. The mural is painted in bright orange, red, and yellow hues and features an eagle and a hawk. Justin said the hawk is MacLaren's mascot, and to him the bird represents power. The owl, meanwhile, represents wisdom.

Justin said playing a role in the design of the mural makes him feel like he's leaving his mark on MacLaren. "We're making an impact that lasts," he said. "It feels nice that I might still be here after I leave."

Though the units don't seem punitive, they also have a high degree of security. The units are designed in the shape of a V, which provides staff the ability to stand in the middle of a unit and see every corner of the facility.

"Protecting the public is always our no. 1 priority," said Emery. "Security is the foundation of everything we do."

Julia Comnes can be reached at 503-765-1195 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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