An Oregon State Penitentiary (OSP) inmate died unexpectedly Saturday evening. As with all unanticipated deaths of state prison inmates, the Oregon State Police is conducting an investigation. At approximately 7:00 p.m. on March 21, inmate Richard Paul Thompson, Jr., 62, was found unresponsive in his cell. He was pronounced deceased at 7:19 p.m. Thompson entered Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) custody on March 29, 2005, on one count of coercion, two counts of assault IV, one count of rape I, and one count of kidnapping I, all out of Deschutes County. His earliest release date was January 20, 2021. OSP is Oregon’s only maximum-security prison, located in Salem, and houses over 2,000 male inmates. OSP is surrounded by a 25-foot-high wall with 10 towers. The facility has multiple special housing units including death row, disciplinary segregation, behavioral health, intermediate care housing, and an infirmary (with hospice) with 24-hour nursing care. OSP participates in prison industries with Oregon Corrections Enterprises including the furniture factory, laundry, metal shop, and contact center. It provides a range of correctional programs and services including education, work-based education, inmate work crews, and pre-release services. OSP was established in 1866 and, until 1959, was Oregon’s only prison.
