<?xml version="1.0"?>
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	<title><![CDATA[Local ]]></title>
	<copyright>Copyright 2009 </copyright>
	<link>http://www.katu.com/news/local</link>
	 			<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
		<language>en-us</language>
	<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:26:10 PST</pubDate>
	<lastBuildDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:26:10 PST</lastBuildDate>
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			<title><![CDATA[Police: Shots in Hillsboro traffic end as officers take aim in Cornelius]]></title>
												<link>http://www.katu.com/news/local/70709327.html</link>
						<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:19:57 PST</pubDate>
							<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
																<description><![CDATA[

CORNELIUS, Ore. - A police chase that began in Hillsboro, with a man shooting off a gun in traffic, has ended in Cornelius when his death. Police report that the man was shot by an officer just before 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon, in front of a Grande Foods store.

Southeast 10th Street in Hillsboro remains closed between Southeast Oak and Walnut Streets.

A spokesperson for the Hillsboro Police Department tells KATU that the shooting began at Southeast 10th and Oak streets in Hillsboro at 1'30 p.m. Saturday. The suspect reportedly got out of his car at the intersection, and fired at least 6 rounds from a handgun at a nearby vehicle.

The vehicle hit had two males inside. The passenger in that vehicle was shot at least once in the shower of bullets, according to police. He has reportedly been airlifted by LifeFlight to a Portland-area hospital. His condition is unknown.

Cornelius Police Department, Washington County Sheriff's Office and the Washington County Major Crimes Team are investigating the shooting along with the Hillsboro Police Department.

The shooter's vehicle then took off westbound on Hillsboro's Southeast Baseline Street. He was soon tailed by &quot;an alert Hillsboro Police Officer,&quot; according to a Hillsboro police press release, and followed west into Cornelius.

Police said the suspect continued driving at &quot;a high rate of speed while firing at officers into Cornelius.&quot; The suspect reportedly crashed his vehicle at South 13th Avenue and North Adair Street - near the Grande Foods market in Cornelius.

Police said the suspect continued to fire on officers, with the officers returning fire until the suspect was fatally wounded. The officers were not struck by what the press release reports as a &quot;barrage of suspect's bullets.&quot;

The victim and suspect's identity are not available at this time, nor is the identity of the officers involved in this shooting.

Motive for why the suspect initially fired into traffic, or why he ran so violently, is yet unknown.

Follow the shooter's reported trail.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Wash. couple pleads guilty in animal-cruelty 'ring']]></title>
									 						<link>http://kidkbim.s3.amazonaws.com/44BDCFC1E4E4599FE13DF3F7BA166A3E.mp4</link>
						<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:22:57 PST</pubDate>
							<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
																<description><![CDATA[EVERETT, Wash. -- The couple accused of starving, dehydrating and suffocating at least six animals while employed at recently investigated kennel has pleaded guilty.

Jason and Serenna Larsen pleaded guilty to six felony counts of first-degree animal cruelty in court on Friday. If convicted, each can be sentenced to up to 12 months in prison.

The Larsens had been hired to live and work at a Gold Bar kennel and take care of the dogs, according to the search warrant. The kennel belongs to Mary Ann Holleman, whose parents, Marjorie and Richard Sundberg, were charged in a separate animal cruelty case in Skagit County.

Investigators, stating they were astounded by the filth found at Holleman's kennel, seized 155 dogs. Seven were in such poor condition that they had to be euthanized.

At the time of the raid, adult dogs and puppies were found living in crates and small pens filled with large accumulations of feces and heavily soiled shavings. Officers said the odor from the feces and urine was so overpowering it could be detected well outside the residence. A large commercial dumpster stood in the yard overflowing with dog waste.

Eighty-seven of the dogs were living in a converted attic. Several dead puppies also were found in a freezer, and two dead dogs were found elsewhere on the premises. Most of the dogs were heavily matted, covered with their own feces and saturated with urine.

Investigators said many dogs had open sores on various parts of their bodies and all were covered with fleas. Several dogs had tumors and other abnormal body conditions. Medications and used syringes, used to treat sick animals, were found scattered in front of pens and in a refrigerator.

"Even the most experienced officers on site were astounded by the size of this puppy mill operation and the filthy conditions in which the dogs were kept," said Vicki Lubrin of Snohomish County Animal Control Services in a statement.

Investigators also found a high-frequency device that had been installed to keep the dogs from barking.

In interviews with investigators, the Larsens said they been breeding dogs since 2007 and admitted that they "were in way over our head," according to court documents. The Larsens told detectives they had started by breeding 28 dogs.

The couple made no statements in court on Friday. During a previous court appearance, Jason Larsen insisted he and his wife were just a small part of a multi-million dollar operation. The Larsens are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 25.

Kennel owner, parents, sister also under probe

In addition to Holleman's kennel, investigators also raided the homes of Holleman and her sister, Renee Roske, in January. At that time, Roske said some of her dogs were at her parents' kennel in Skagit County.

Roske's claim led detectives to Marjorie and Richard Sundberg's Mount Vernon kennel where they seized nearly 450 dogs.

Detectives said the dogs were kept in tight cages contaminated with feces and urine that sat alongside bodies of dead dogs in unheated spaces. Many dogs had been left without any food or water. Veterinarians later determined some of dogs were suffering from coccidia, an intestinal disease, and many others were pregnant.

The Sundbergs were each charged with  four counts of animal cruelty in the first degree, four counts of animal cruelty in the second degree and one count of transporting or confining in an unsafe manner. They have pleaded not guilty on all counts.

Neither Roske nor Holleman have been charged; however, the investigation is ongoing. Detectives are seeking customers who may have purchased a dog from Roske or Wags N Wiggles Pet Shop, which she runs out of her Snohomish Home. They're asking anyone who thinks they may have gotten a dog from Roske to e-mail them. ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Woman denied credit, told she's dead]]></title>
									 						<link>http://kidkbim.s3.amazonaws.com/48D096547B4AA235405440D28833183D.mp4</link>
						<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:15:40 PST</pubDate>
							<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
																<description><![CDATA[SEATTLE -- A local woman trying to refinance her mortgage got the shock of her life when she learned her credit report had her listed as dead.

To make matters worse, the 78 year old had just survived a battle that nearly killed her. 

All Ann Howe wanted was lower mortgage payments. The last thing she expected was more stress. Months earlier, she'd discovered her husband of 55 years had died in his sleep.

Then, she says, a lump in her forehead was misdiagnosed. It turned out to be cancer.  

Days after cancer surgery, doctors discovered Howe needed open heart surgery. She almost died.

When she finally regained her strength, she applied for a mortgage refinance loan to reduce her payments and help her budget. 

Things were going fine. Two of the credit reporting agencies showed her credit rating was close to 800.  But her Experian report had a problem.

"Because somebody made a real ignorant mistake when they told Experian that I was dead," Howe said. "I mean, that was a terrible blow." 

Howe's Experian credit report had her listed as deceased. One of her creditors had reported her as dead.

Correcting the mistake was an interstate nightmare that took the full-time attention of Howe's daughter in California. She sent letters, faxes, notarized explanations, long distance phone calls, but for months, she kept running into the same brick wall. 

Howe's daughter, Julie Kerr, says everyone knew Howe was alive, but the bank wouldn't budge without a credit report from Experian. 

"(They said) 'We don't care, we have to get a credit score and without that credit score, we can't make the loan and we can't get a credit score because you're deceased. Now we know you're not deceased, but they think you are. So we're not going to do this loan,'" Kerr said. 

Kerr says she was told a correction would take 30 to 45 days, which meant Howe's loan lock would expire. Desperate, Kerr contacted the ABC affiliate in San Francisco, KGO-TV.

One phone call from the news staff did the trick. The creditor admitted its mistake, sent an apology, and within 24 hours, the credit report error was corrected.

"I mean it was just mind-boggling," said Kerr.

Howe got her loan and her good interest rate, but she's still furious.

"Because it was just stupid. And nobody should go through this," she said. 

This is a perfect example of why you should check your credit reports at least once a year -- to correct any mistakes ahead of this kind of nightmare. Don't wait until you need credit.

By law, you get a free report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies every year. Just remember' the only Web site you should use to order your free report is  AnnualCreditReport.Com. It's the only website that's authorized by the Federal Trade Commission.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Experts consider 'procedure' in use-of-force case]]></title>
									 						<link>http://kidkbim.s3.amazonaws.com/6F8F35B8A4A4801205AB1753EFF3D3A8.mp4</link>
						<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 0:54:31 PST</pubDate>
							<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
																<description><![CDATA[

PORTLAND, Ore. - Two experts in the use of force by police said there are a lot of unknowns in what happened the night Portland Police Officer Chris Humphreys fired a beanbag gun at a 12-year-old girl.  But they both agree that the weapon carries concerns in areas most people may not think about.

One factor former Hillsboro police Chief Ron Louie considered while watching the TriMet security video that showed Humphreys shooting a beanbag round into the thigh of the girl fighting with police on a MAX platform is if the officers were seriously threatened.

He said he also considers training and procedure.

Louie, who has written a handbook on tactical communication, said officers are trained to use a beanbag gun 15 to 20 feet from a suspect and not inches.

&ldquo;That has a greater probability of creating injury,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You can use it at that shorter distance if you&rsquo;re dealing with a serious crime or an offender.&rdquo;

Portland Police Association President Scott Westerman said the girl stopped resisting after a carefully chosen shot by Officer Humphreys that was within police policy.

&ldquo;Look at the video. It had the effect,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;We have absolutely no objection to an internal investigation being conducted on a situation like this,&rdquo; said Westerman. &ldquo;If for no other reason than to show the citizens of Portland that our officers are acting exactly the way they were supposed to.&rdquo;

Officer Humphreys is assigned to the Transit Police and he and other officers were responding to the breakup of a large party involving known gang members.

&ldquo;The police are confronted with a significant challenge policing light rail,&rdquo; said Portland attorney and former police officer Akin Blitz.

He said at least one officer knew the girl and all three could have de-escalated the confrontation.

&ldquo;They could have stepped back in the hope that time and a less strident, forceful approach might have caused this individual to react differently,&rdquo; Blitz said.

Both Louie and Blitz said there are valid reasons for taking Officer Humphreys off the street whether it&rsquo;s a desk job or administrative leave.

Humphreys has taken heat for his role in the death of James Chasse Jr. who died in police custody in 2006.

Louie and Blitz said the suspension of Humphreys makes sense as the investigation into what happened continues to unfold.

The union plans to hold a rally Tuesday to collect ballots from its members in a call for a no confidence vote in Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer and police Commissioner Dan Saltzman.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Everyday Heroes: Helping teen mothers]]></title>
									 						<link>http://kidkbim.s3.amazonaws.com/7630368EAE2CA3ED7C3C8A02D0A6E874.mp4</link>
						<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:48:17 PST</pubDate>
							<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
																<description><![CDATA[

Julie Hanke started Vida&rsquo;s Ark which is a program that not only provides shelter for teenage mothers and their babies, but it also helps them become self-sufficient. Please click on the above video link to watch this story.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[3-year-old gets separated from dad at MAX platform]]></title>
									 						<link>http://kidkbim.s3.amazonaws.com/6026F528E37CBBA4FA6BCFEB86A3084B.mp4</link>
						<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:43:56 PST</pubDate>
							<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
																<description><![CDATA[

PORTLAND, Ore. - A 3-year-old boy was left stranded at a MAX platform when a door on the train malfunctioned, separating the toddler from his dad.

The incident happened Monday, Nov. 16 at the S.E. Main Street Station.

According to TriMet, as the boy was getting off the train, he pushed the accessible ramp button on the door, causing it to open and then close again to deploy the ramp. TriMet officials say the door should have reopened but it didn't and the father and son were separated. They are investigating, saying the ramp deployment process may have been overridden by the operator, causing it to be interrupted.

&ldquo;He (the operator) may have said, &lsquo;Mmm, don&rsquo;t know that&rsquo;s needed and may have just stopped that whole process,&rdquo; says TriMet spokeswoman Mary Fetsch.

A woman who was standing on the platform tried to get the door to open, but couldn't and the train took off. She ended up staying with the boy until his father returned seven minutes later from a returning train.

The father says he tried to push the intercom button inside the train to contact the operator but got no response.

&ldquo;&rdquo;Every time I pushed that door - the button - it did nothing,&rdquo; says the boy&rsquo;s father Aaron Bailey. &ldquo;I went right over to the emergency intercom button and I pushed that frantically, and I got no answer. I pushed it again - no answer. I did this about 10 times with no answer.

&ldquo;You can imagine how I felt. Not only was my son left on the train &ndash; a platform by himself with a complete stranger, I could not get a hold of anybody on the train to let them know what was going on.&rdquo;

TriMet officials say it appears there was a malfunction with the intercom. TriMet officials say a fleet-wide inspection of intercoms will be conducted.

Fetsch says the operators do check to see what&rsquo;s happening on the platforms before taking off again but Fetsch says the operator may of thought the boy was with the woman.

TriMet says they do have clear protocols for dealing with this type of a situation and once the operator was made aware of what happened, those protocols were followed. TriMet says they have been in contact with the father and did apologize to him. They also gave him two free annual passes.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Police union plans to hold a vote of no confidence for Sizer, Saltzman]]></title>
									 						<link>http://kidkbim.s3.amazonaws.com/6826F6CD5B6C96A8B3CDE5688958385D.mp4</link>
						<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:01:24 PST</pubDate>
							<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
																<description><![CDATA[

PORTLAND, Ore. - The union that represents Portland police officers plans to hold a vote of no confidence for police Chief Rosie Sizer and police Commissioner Dan Saltzman after they placed a police officer on leave.

Take our poll on this issue

Sizer announced the suspension of Officer Chris Humphreys Thursday pending an investigation into his actions that involved shooting a 12-year-old girl with a beanbag gun at close range. Police said the girl was resisting arrest at a MAX station last weekend and punched an officer in the face before Humphreys fired his beanbag gun.

&ldquo;Leadership of the Police Bureau at the hands of Commissioner Dan Saltzman and Chief Sizer has failed Officer Chris Humphreys and our entire membership,&rdquo; said Portland Police Association President Scott Westerman after the union&rsquo;s executive board unanimously voted to put a vote to the entire membership of the union.

&ldquo;The events of the last few weeks have shown that Dan Saltzman cares more about politics than he does for the lives and families of police officers,&rdquo; Westerman said. &ldquo;Likewise, Chief Sizer&rsquo;s failure to stand by the officers of this Bureau when they have done absolutely nothing wrong and are being used as political pawns is deplorable. Our faith in the leadership of the Portland Police Bureau is gone.&rdquo;

Commissioner Saltzman, however, said he stands by his decision. He said that when he saw the video he was disturbed by it. He said he wanted Humphreys put on immediate leave but Sizer suggested just a desk job.

The union said Saltzman&rsquo;s decision was politically motivated because Humphreys is also the officer at the center of a lawsuit connected to the James Chasse Jr. death in 2006. Chasse died in police custody and investigators said that his chest was crushed after Humphreys landed on top of him during a struggle.

But Saltzman said his decision had nothing to do with politics.

&ldquo;One thing I pride myself in is really not being sort of a politician in the sense of what most people think of a politician who makes decisions kind of casting a finger to the wind or based on the newspapers,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I pride myself on being somebody who looks at the issues on their merits and makes decisions whether they&rsquo;re tough ones or easy ones.&rdquo;

Saltzman said he was concerned the beanbag weapon was used at such close range on someone the officers knew was so young.

But Westerman asked people to think about what they would want a police officer to do if they found themselves in a similar situation.

&ldquo;I ask the citizens of Portland, what would you do if you were being assaulted by a five-foot seven, 160 pound hyper-aggressive person? What would you want the Portland police officer that&rsquo;s standing right there to do? You would want them to end the assault immediately,&rdquo; he said.

Saltzman said, however, he has a job to do.

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry they&rsquo;re going to take that action, but it&rsquo;s not going to stop me from doing my job as the police commissioner and making decisions I feel need to be made,&rdquo; he said.

The police Internal Affairs Division is reviewing the incident to determine if the use of force was justified.

In the meantime, the police union is planning a rally to collect ballots and show support for Humphreys on Tuesday.

Westerman said ballots for the confidence vote will be collected by Nov. 27 and the results of the vote will be announced Nov. 30.

The vote has no legal impact.

KATU News reporter Bob Heye contributed to this report.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Police: Suspect bailed out by victim's fundraiser]]></title>
									 						<link>http://kidkbim.s3.amazonaws.com/79BC86E2B9D94DEE5A9FC82272AA1CDD.mp4</link>
						<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:55:27 PST</pubDate>
							<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
																<description><![CDATA[

VANCOUVER, Wash. &ndash; Vancouver police are looking into alleged improper use of funds gathered from fundraisers that were held after a popular teacher was killed in a hit-and-run incident in September.

According to a story Friday in The Columbian newspaper, some of the money may have been used to bail the suspect in the case out of jail.

Gordon Patterson, 50, died Sept. 15 when police say 18-year-old Antonio Eugene Cellestine hit Patterson from behind in his car. Patterson was traveling by bike south of St. Johns on 41st Street. After the collision, police said Cellestine left Patterson dying near his mangled bicycle.

Patterson was a popular teacher at Hudson&rsquo;s Bay High School in Vancouver. He often rode his bicycle to the school.

Now, investigators think Mallory Ewart used money raised for Patterson&rsquo;s family to bail Cellestine out of jail. Ewart is reportedly Cellestine&rsquo;s girlfriend.

She reportedly organized fundraisers for Patterson's family after his death, including car washes. However, when she gave the money to the family, some of it was apparently missing. This prompted the investigation.

Court records said jail tape recordings revealed Cellestine and Ewart talked about diverting the money from the car wash to pay Cellestine&rsquo;s bail. Investigators also said Ewart talked about the plan on her MySpace page.

The revelation that money was diverted came as a blow to members of First Evangelical Church, which is where Patterson worshipped. It is also across the street from the restaurant where the fundraiser was held.

Twenty-eight people made donations that totaled about $400. But only $190 came back.

&ldquo;It takes some gall &ndash; gall,&rdquo; said Joy Kersteter, a member of the church. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s very unbelievable that somebody would prey on people that way &ndash; to use the situation to help somebody who was the cause of the situation.&rdquo;

Cellestine faces hit-and-run charges in Patterson&rsquo;s death. More recently, he has been charged with marijuana possession and as a minor in possession of alcohol while out on bail.

He is currently back in jail and is being held without bail. His brother also has been arrested in the hit-and-run investigation.

Ewart is scheduled to appear in court next week. She is charged with third degree theft, which carries a maximum of one year in jail. She and Cellestine both had been students at Hudson&rsquo;s Bay.

Get more details on this story in the print edition of Vancouver's The Columbian newspaper.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Tenants escape Raleigh Hills apartment fire]]></title>
												<link>http://katu.s3.amazonaws.com/091120_apt_fire384K.flv</link>
						<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:27:08 PST</pubDate>
							<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
																<description><![CDATA[

PORTLAND, Ore. - An overnight 2-alarm fire in the Raleigh Hills area of Washington County caused severe damage to one apartment and left a number of people homeless.

The fire happened at the Montclaire Terrace Apartments, located at 4835 SW Oleson Road in Portland.

No one was hurt in the fire that started just before 4 a.m. on an end unit of the third story. The damage was severe to one unit, but there may be some additional damage to the adjacent unit's balcony. There are 18 units in the building that was on fire.

&quot;Fire crews are really wrapping up their part of the activity here,&quot; said Walt Peck of Tualatin Valley Fire &amp; Rescue just after 6 a.m. &quot;Our investigators are on scene now and they've actually done a preliminary walk of the apartment.&quot;

Peck also said the next process of the fire crews is what's called a &quot;dig out&quot; where they will sift through the various levels of fire damage and try to determine a cause of the fire.

Several people living in units in the building are not being allowed back in while the structural integrity of the building is assessed. They are being assisted by the Red Cross.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Writing a Marion County inmate? Send a post card]]></title>
												<link>http://www.katu.com/news/local/70618212.html</link>
						<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 7:15:36 PST</pubDate>
							<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
																<description><![CDATA[



SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Marion County jail inmates soon won't be able to get letters from the outside. They'll have to settle for postcards.

Starting as soon as Jan. 1, jail officials are going to limit incoming and outgoing mail to postcards only. Current policy allows letters with no limit on the number of pages. The policy will save the county money and man-hours spent sorting through more than 1,000 pieces of general mail inmates receive each week.

&quot;We're not trying to be mean or make people upset,&quot; Marion County Sheriff Jason Myers said.

&quot;It's about efficiency and safety in the workplace.&quot;

Inmates will be required to purchase standardized pre-stamped 3.5-by-8.5-inch postcards from a commissary. The postcards feature a photo of the jail. The new rules will not affect mail to and from public officials or legal mail.

The benefits of the new policy include decreased traffic of contraband items through the jail, as well as saving time and costs, Marion County jail Cmdr. Jeff Holland said. The most common contraband item deputies find is pornography, Holland said.

Contraband has &quot;been a problem off and on as long as I've been in the business - 23 years,&quot; Holland said. Each year, the county spends about $60,000 to cover man-hours spent sorting jail mail, Holland said.

&quot;We estimate by going to the postcard system we can cut that by half,&quot; Holland said.

It takes about nine hours per day to process mail, Holland said. That amount of time will be scaled back, and deputies will use the time to patrol the grounds and focus on safety, the sheriff said.

&quot;We'll be able to refocus the time on safety and security of the facility,&quot; Myers said.

When mail is delivered to the jail, it is first sorted by an administrative staffer, according to sheriff's office spokeswoman Lt. Sheila Lorance.

Deputies then open the mail and remove the envelope flap and stamp, checking for contraband items and making sure the piece doesn't violate the mail policy, sheriff's officials said. Deputies will keep searching the mail for blacklisted items.

For inmates, their families and the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, the policy calls into question the roll of communication in the life of an inmate.

&quot;We think that it is a bad policy if it is going to limit the way the inmates are going to be able to communicate with their families in a meaningful way,&quot; said Jann Carson, associate director of the ACLU of Oregon.

Carson was not familiar with the Marion County jail's plans but spoke generally of the importance of communication between inmates and family.

&quot;One of the best ways that we make ex-convicts reintegrate is keeping those ties to families while they are incarcerated,&quot; Carson said. &quot;If this policy is going to make that more difficult, that is troubling.&quot;

Timothy Jones, 47, is serving a sentence in the jail for a probation violation.

&quot;I don't know what you can say on a 3-by-8,&quot; Jones said. &quot;Some of us got kids and other things that we need to discuss with our families.&quot;

Jones said he was worried some families might not be able to afford postcards and stamps. He said when posters went up on bulletin boards in the jail last week, inmates were generally worried.

There were &quot;a lot of people with animosity toward it,&quot; Jones said. &quot;They're deeply concerned.&quot;

As an inmate, Jones doesn't know that he has the resources to fight back. When asked if the policy is fair, Jones seemed indifferent.

&quot;I'm incarcerated; what is fair?&quot; he said. &quot;I think it is more unfair to our families.&quot;

The Marion County jail serves as a holding facility for people awaiting trial and convicted offenders serving less than one-year sentences. Convicted offenders sentenced to more than one year in custody are transferred to prisons supervised by the Department of Corrections.

Sondelyn Laughlin of Keizer writes to a longtime family friend in custody, sometimes sending three letters per week.

&quot;I know a lot of people that depend on family letters to uplift them and keep them part of their life,&quot; Laughlin said. &quot;This will even affect those who are not convicted yet, and that seems barbaric.&quot;

Laughlin said she was upset and sad when she heard about the new policy. Though it has created an obstacle, she won't stop writing to her friend.

&quot;I guess I'll have to write 10 postcards a day,&quot; she said. &quot;Like pages of a letter, it will be pages of a postcard.&quot;

Holland said he didn't know of any other Oregon jails that allow only single-sheet postcards, though he said about 15 jails were seriously considering it.

At this time, neither the Polk County jail nor Oregon Department of Corrections are considering a postcard-only policy.

Marion County's new mail system is modeled after one at the Maricopa County, Ariz., Holland said.

That jail piloted the postcard-only program in May 2007 after it was suggested by an employee, according to Lt. Robert Eastlund with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.

The restrictions significantly cut back on contraband items, especially drugs, and gang messages being passed into the jail, Eastlund said.

When it was first implemented at the Phoenix jail, the county was sued. The case went to the federal district court, which ruled in favor of the jail's policy and found there was no infringement on communication, Eastlund said. Inmates still had the ability to use telephones for private conversations, Eastlund said.

&quot;We weren't violating anybody's civil rights,&quot; Eastlund said. &quot;There is no right to privacy when it comes to this.&quot;

The policy's two-year tenure at the 9,100-inmate jail system has been a success. However, it hasn't entirely stopped attempts to send contraband to inmates. Deputies are starting to find contraband slipped between the sheets of postcards, Eastlund said.



(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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