Mailroom at Oregon State Penitentiary evacuated after suspicious substance found

Death Row Econonomics

File Photo. Thomas Boyd/The OregonianLC- The Oregonian

An auxiliary building on the grounds of the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem was evacuated Friday and one worker was taken to a hospital after a suspicious substance was found in the mailroom, officials said.

Around 11 a.m., an employee in the mailroom reported the substance and the building, which is outside of the main penitentiary, was evacuated. One person was taken to the hospital as a precaution, officials said. The building was later cleared by crews from the Salem Fire department.

On Wednesday, a building at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility was evacuated after an employee in the mailroom discovered an envelope containing a powdery substance. Four workers in that incident were hospitalized for decontamination.

“At this time, these two incidents do not appear to be related,” officials said in a statement. “The Oregon Department of Correctionsis working with its law enforcement partners to determine next steps.”

-- Kale Williams

kwilliams@oregonian.com

503-294-4048

@sfkale

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.