Despite facing felony charges for domestic violence, the Oregon Department of Corrections has allowed Alex Doran to keep his job as a corrections officer at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville, where he directly supervises female prisoners.
Two of those prisoners independently contacted attorney Meghan Bishop with concerns that Doran was continuing to hold power over them while facing charges of violence against a woman.
According to Bishop, the prisoners both said while he was at work, Doran repeatedly and openly talked about the charges he’s facing — though falsely claiming they are misdemeanors — and also about how he plans to enact revenge on his ex by destroying her career.
“By him bragging about it to these women and minimizing what the charges are, and then threatening the victim on top of it, I think, puts these women who are incarcerated in a very precarious spot,” Bishop told Street Roots. “Because, you know, most of them have been victims themselves. And so they’re now having to navigate that with this person who has power over them.”
After hearing complaints from her clients, Bishop looked up Doran’s case and learned his charges were more serious than her clients had been led to believe. She said when she revealed this to her clients, they also took issue with being guarded by someone facing felony charges — when felonies are what they’re serving time for committing.
Street Roots asked the Oregon Department of Corrections why it’s allowing someone who is facing such serious charges to continue to work directly with female prisoners.
“After his arrest, he was released with no limits to his employmentd,” department spokesperson Betty Bernt told Street Roots via email. She said he returned to work but in a controlled, non-armed, minimum security area, adding that, “At this time, the claims against Mr. Doran are alleged.”
Doran was indicted in Polk County Circuit Court on felony charges of unlawful use of a weapon and coercion, both constituting domestic violence, and on a misdemeanor menacing charge.
According to the Oregon Department of Corrections code of conduct for employment, employees must obey all federal and local laws.
After his court proceedings conclude, Bernt said, the corrections department will “review the outcome and determine next steps regarding opening a personnel investigation.” This internal investigation, she said, “determines the appropriate level, if any, progressive discipline.”
The charges stem from an altercation at the home of the victim on the evening of Oct. 30 last year. The victim had been seeing Doran romantically for about four months, leading up to his arrest.
Street Roots is omitting the victim’s name and other identifying information in this report, as is our policy with victims of domestic violence.
According to the victim’s statements to police that evening, Doran drunkenly made accusations toward her, so she told him she was leaving the premises but would allow him to stay due to his intoxication.
Doran then allegedly prevented the woman from leaving her home with physical force multiple times and told her he would shoot himself in her living room if she left. When she told him she was going to call 911, according to the probable cause affidavit, he pulled his gun out of its case, and while holding it, told her to “put the phone down” and “see what happens if you leave.”
She eventually escaped the house after back-pedaling and attempting another exit.
“I thought he was going to shoot me or him,” she told police. “I’ve never been more afraid in my life.”
Police noted the woman appeared to be sober and Doran was slurring his speech, “had a red face, glassy, watery, red eyes” and smelled of alcohol. He told police he had consumed five shots of hard alcohol that evening.
While Doran admitted to police he had grabbed his gun, he said he “did not recall” taking it out of the case, and he denied any wrongdoing. He almost immediately violated the no-contact order upon being released from jail when he tried to contact the woman through social media, according to court documents.
Through her counsel, Sean Riddell, the victim declined to comment for this story.
According to department policy, if an employee is arrested, they are required to notify their supervisor in writing. For certified corrections officers, this notification must also include detailed information about the arrest.
“DOC is aware that Mr. Doran is facing charges in Polk County. He notified us of his arrest,” said Bernt. “DOC ensured Doran’s situation was reported to the Department of Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) and all hours worked by Doran, to include time swaps and/or overtime, are done within the parameters of this modified returnto work agreement.”
As of press time, neither Doran nor his attorney responded to a request for comment.
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