Oregon Youth Authority gets $2.2M for abuse complaint backlog

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Facing a daunting backlog of abuse complaints, the Oregon Youth Authority received $2.2 million from the state legislature to double the staff in its Professional Standards Office, which is responsible for investigating these cases.

With the new funding, OYA plans to hire a human resources analyst, a youth family advocate, a chief Investigator and three permanent investigator positions. Previously, the agency had just three full-time investigators and had to bring in temporary staff earlier this year to help manage the caseload.

As of August 1 the agency faces a daunting backlog, with 442 open or suspended cases that have been unresolved for over 180 days, according to OYA’s dashboard. Additionally, 3,010 aged cases are still awaiting final closure by Chief Investigator Ken Jeske.

The pressure on OYA continues to mount. In July, attorneys representing 17 victims filed new claims of sexual abuse involving OYA staff — some naming Dr. Gary Edwards, also known as “Dr. Cold Fingers.”

Edwards is also the subject of a separate lawsuit filed in March, accusing him of abusing 10 boys at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility between 2000 and 2008. He died in February after working for OYA for nearly 40 years.