Oregon Revised Statutes requires that at least once yearly, a grand jury shall inquire into the condition and management of every correctional facility and youth correction facility in the county.

Each year witnesses are called before the grand jury who represent a wide range of individuals whose lives and careers are affected by the operations of corrections in our community. They include government and political leaders, defense counsel, inmates, supervisory authority personnel and correction employees. The observations, conclusions and recommendations of the grand jury's annual report are based upon the testimony of these witnesses, from the facts and figures they provided, and from observations of the grand jury as it tours the county's correctional facilities.

Three correctional facilities are operated within Jackson County. Two of those facilities are under the supervision of the county sheriff; the third is a juvenile detention facility which is operated by the Department of Community Corrections. This grand jury's report examines the operations of each of these agencies.