Oregon Youth Authority

10/29/2026

We’re celebrating an incredible milestone as we congratulate Angelo Meaderds on his retirement after 39+ years of dedicated state service!

For over five years, Angelo has been our exceptional Riverbend work crew supervisor whose vocational knowledge, steady guidance, and genuine care have made a lasting impact on camp, our youth, and our community partners. His ability to connect with and support young people has truly set him apart. Many of the youth whose lives he's helped shape attended his retirement ceremony, which speaks volumes to who Angelo is as a public servant and leader.

While we will miss his leadership and presence, we’re excited for Angelo as he steps into his next chapter: being a full‑time grandparent! Congratulations, Angelo, and thank you for your remarkable service. Your legacy and contributions will be felt for years to come. Enjoy this well‑earned new adventure!

10/26/2026

Building skills, building futures!

An OYA work crew supervisor captured these great shots of three of our youth helping a local contractor on a brand‑new home build. From framing and pouring the foundation to flooring and now walls, this project will keep 3–6 youth learning and working in the building trades well into next year.

A 2026 review of construction‑focused programs for justice‑involved youth found that training tied to real labor‑market demand and supported with wrap‑around services led to meaningful reductions in reoffending. By learning hands‑on skills, these youth aren’t just building homes, they’re building futures and forging a path away from the justice system.

10/21/2026

Three Lakes and Riverside High Schools (MESD) partnered with Oak Creek and JWTP to offer a family night on Wednesday, October 14th.

Youth welcomed their families to highlight the educational and vocational skills they’ve been working hard to build. Teachers, OYA staff, and community partners hosted interactive booths where families could experience firsthand the opportunities available to their young people.

A huge thank‑you to everyone who made this night meaningful and memorable!

10/17/2026

Thank you to KGW-TV for interviewing two youth from OYA's Camp Riverbend who helped professional wildland firefighting crews save lives and property earlier this year. Together they paid over $10,000 in restitution and learned new skills they will hopefully utilize upon leaving OYA custody.

Full story: https://www.kgw.com/article/news/community/oya-firefighting-training-program/283-8bd7a767-ba6e-4d21-ab72-1a56f2ca8d0a

10/15/2026

Our Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations (OIIR) has worked incredibly hard to organize Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations all across OYA's facilities.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month is an important opportunity to honor the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities.

By celebrating together, we affirm that belonging is not just an ideal at OYA. It’s a practice we carry forward daily. Thank you to everyone who made these events possible!

09/17/2026

Join the Oregon Youth Authority at Mt. Angel Oktoberfest and be sure to stop by our booth across from the Weingarten between Thursday, September 17, and Sunday, September 20. Every cabbage roll you buy helps support youth in our facilities. The money we raise at this annual event funds the Youth Incentive Fund for youth in our care. The funds are used for holiday gifts, holiday celebrations, graduations, and other occasions. Your support makes a real difference, and we’d love to see you there!

Thank you to all the OYA team members who have volunteered to staff our food booth. We could not do this without your generosity, too.

08/28/2026

The NORCOR Youth Care Center was privileged to host a special four-hour culinary class led recently by Michelin-star chef and sommelier, retired Air Force Captain, and motivational speaker James Barber. Through this hands-on experience, youth learned to prepare homemade pasta from scratch, along with two different pasta sauces, while working collaboratively as a team to create a complete Italian meal.

Throughout the class, participants practiced communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and food preparation skills in a positive and engaging learning environment. Chef Barber also shared words of encouragement and inspiration, reinforcing the value of perseverance, personal growth, and developing practical life skills.

This unique opportunity was made possible through the generous support of Youth Empowerment Shelter- YES in The Dalles, whose donation and partnership helped provide an enriching vocational and life-skills experience that was enjoyed by all who participated.

08/28/2026

Camp Riverbend has provided a wildland fire crew for the Hagen Fire, currently burning in Northeast Oregon. Our youth have responded to five separate fires since the start of the season in July. They have worked initial attacks, built containment lines by hand, and worked mop-up — where youth look for and completely extinguish any remaining hot spots near the lines after the main fire front has passed.

Fire management and task force leaders were so impressed with their work that they are keeping them on as a resource to respond to new fires. These youth are building valuable work skills in an industry that is vastly understaffed!

Camp Riverbend and OYA couldn’t be prouder of the youth participating in these fires. It’s great to see them gain respect within the wildland firefighting community for their hard work and great attitudes toward the difficult job they’ve undertaken.

08/21/2026

Thanks to those who joined us last month for our Restorative Justice Showcase & Voices From the Inside: A Youth Music Video Premiere hosted by Keys,Beats,Bars.

The Marshall Project recently talked to the youth, Mike, J., and D, who rapped in the song for a feature. "There are surely thousands of other young men and women like Mike in youth facilities across the country, for whom rapping might still become 'a way to vent, to let out all the aggression and other emotions you can’t talk to people about,' as Mike put it."

Check out the article below. The animated music video is also linked in the comments.

On “No Ceilings,” a young lyricist asks, “If I confess all my sins, would they hang me for it?”