By RAELYNN RICARTE
News staff writer
October 17, 2007

The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office has taken the lead on an initial investigation into supervisory misconduct at NORCOR.

Chief Deputy Jerry Brown is in the process of questioning 68 staffers at the Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Facilities in The Dalles. He is being assisted in that task by deputies from Sherman and Gilliam counties.

Wasco County Sheriff Rick Eiesland, who sits on the NORCOR board of directors, has stepped away from the process to avoid any appearance of unfairness.

Eiesland voted in favor of promoting NORCOR Capt. Larry Lindhorst to jail administrator in August. However, that appointment was put on hold after Lindhorst was accused of mismanagement in letters sent to Hood River County Commission Chair Ron Rivers.

Rivers, who serves on the NORCOR board, requested an investigation after being contacted by nine employees during the late summer. These individuals objected to Lindhorst serving as the administrator when numerous problems had arisen during the almost two years that he had temporarily filled the role.

The complaints relayed to Rivers primarily centered on discriminatory practices and the sexual harassment of both female workers and inmates. However, money mismanagement and inmate abuse allegations were also brought to his attention.

“Our fact finding will be fair and impartial and it will go where it goes,” said Brown. “The facts will speak for themselves.”

He said any information provided by employees that indicated criminal activity at the jail would trigger a more formal investigation. That inquiry would be performed by an as-yet-undetermined agency outside of the jail’s four-county membership. He said any complaints against Lindhorst or other command officers, those holding the rank of sergeant and above, would also be turned over to that agency.

The NORCOR board decided that having the advisory sheriff’s board establish the validity of complaints did not violate its new personnel policy.

A provision in that policy regarding harassment and discrimination requires that complaints against command officers “be investigated by a person or agency selected by the sheriff’s board who is not a NORCOR member or anyone affiliated with a NORCOR employee.”

“We have one mission with this process and that is to find out if there’s wrongdoing and what can be done to correct it,” said Brown.

“Our concern is to come out of this with a healthy work environment.”

He has drafted a list of questions that every employee is being asked to address during a personal interview. Workers will also be provided with the opportunity to raise any additional concerns. Brown will then prepare a final report that will determine what course of action the sheriff’s board takes next.

He anticipates the fact-finding quest will be fulfilled within the next month. Brown was chosen to supervise that task because he has 23 years of management experience in law enforcement and has spent 12 years as an investigator.

In other action, NORCOR officials are turning to “head-hunters” to find both an interim and permanent jail administrator.

That move was made after the “flawed” search process that resulted in the hiring of Lindhorst was abandoned. The captain was interviewed and chosen for the job during two illegal meetings.

The board authorized chair, Wasco County Judge Dan Ericksen, to approve a request for proposals from professional recruiting companies for assistance with the search.

NORCOR officials could have an interim administrator in place by the end of the month. The permanent search is expected to take 90 days and could cost $20,000-30,000.