Clackamas County Jail: Americans with Disability Act (ADA) Jail Compliance

The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office works to keep the Clackamas County Jail (CCJ) in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title II, regarding services and accommodations for all adults in custody.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H.W. Bush. The ADA is one of America's most comprehensive pieces of civil rights legislation that prohibits discrimination and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to participate in the mainstream of American life -- to enjoy employment opportunities, to purchase goods and services, and to participate in State and local government programs and services. Modeled after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin - and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 -- the ADA is an "equal opportunity" law for people with disabilities.

To be protected by the ADA, one must have a disability, which is defined by the ADA as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment. The ADA does not specifically name all of the impairments that are covered.

Who is the Jail ADA Coordinator?

The Jail ADA Coordinator is Sergeant Heidi Wooster, CCJADACoordinator@clackamas.us or 503-722-6750.

The Jail ADA Coordinator is responsible for the Clackamas County Jail's overall efforts to comply with the ADA. Duties include, but are not limited to:

  • Administering the Jail's ADA regulations
  • Reviewing documentation for requests from adults in custody for Reasonable Accommodations
  • Ensuring that buildings and pathways are free from obstructions, and
  • Addressing concerns that arise from the Jail Population.

The Jail ADA Coordinator promotes activities, programs, and initiatives that enhance campus capacity to develop and maintain a commitment and spirit of inclusivity for all, including constituents with disabilities. In addition, the Jail ADA Coordinator ensures that the campus has appropriate procedures for accommodation, investigation/complaint, and other compliance processes in place, to ensure the proper handling of disability-related requests, concerns and complaints, and to direct ultimate removal of barriers inconsistent with the Clackamas County Jail's obligations under state and federal law.

Basic Function and Responsibilities

The Jail ADA Coordinator:

  • Ensures that jail programs are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act and other federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to persons who are incarcerated with disabilities.
  • Coordinates Jail policies and procedures relating to adults in custody with disabilities; programs access relating to its policies and procedures, as well as state and federal laws relating to adults in custody with disabilities; files all necessary reports; and provides consultative services to jail staff.

The Jail ADA Coordinator's scope of responsibility includes Clackamas County jail staff, as well as access for adults in custody to programs and facilities.

The Clackamas County Jail is responsible for ensuring all staff within the Clackamas County Jail understand the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office's full commitment to implementing federal law and jail policy assuring nondiscrimination for staff, adults in custody, and the public on the basis of disability.