Coquille Hilton By: Captain Sean Sanborn Did you know that the Coos County Sheriff’s Office hosts one of the largest buildings in Coquille? Colloquially known locally as the Coquille Hilton, the Coos County Jail stands tall near the middle of Coquille, right next to the Coos County Courthouse. The building was built sometime in the early 80’s. I recall visiting the jail as a youngster after it was built. I noted all the pastel colors which were painted on the wall. The purpose, I was told, was to calm the building's residents. Our current facility is one of several iterations we have had over the years. At one time, the jail was on the third floor of the Coos County Courthouse. The bars are present to this day. Rumors of a resident ghost named Sven persist in the courthouse, with his home being the third floor. Following that, our jail was at the North Bend Annex, which was converted from a hospital to a jail and owned by the county for some time. From there, we have the jail facility we are all familiar with today. After our current facility was constructed, Coos County was housing upwards of 250 adults in custody. In 2007, the county experienced a budget crisis, which lowered the capacity to 98. We are yet again seeing a downturn due to a budget crisis and are currently housing 49 Adults in Custody. That is not to say that our jail staff have not been busy. In 2025, a total of 2516 people were booked into the jail from across the county. The breakdown of people who were booked in may be of interest. 1812 males and 704 females were brought to the Coos County Jail in 2025. Some folks may be aware of Measure 11 crimes, these are crimes which carry a mandatory sentence under Oregon Law and are generally considered some of the worst crimes Oregon carries on the books. In 2025, twenty-seven Measure 11 offenders were booked in, and there were 80 Measure 11 charges alleged. As a sampling of the more serious crimes of persons held at the jail at the writing of this article, there are six persons accused of murder of some degree and five persons held on sex crimes of some degree. This leaves 38 beds for everything else. Due to our current staffing/ funding level, we can only keep 49 people in custody, with only a little flexibility to keep more than that. This necessitates that jail staff carry the unhappy responsibility to decide who is released. There is a release matrix which guides staff on whom to release first, depending on charges, whether or not the person is convicted of a crime, or not, and the type and severity of the crime the person who is coming in committed, though this is a very simplified breakdown of the matrix. In 2025, there were 914 people released from custody. In 2021, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 48. I have attached a link to the bill (https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB48), which allows for a no-bail release for certain crimes and offenses. In 2025, there were 523 people released from jail under Senate Bill 48. Our Corrections Division Staff does not just stay working inside the jail; they actually do quite a bit of travelling as well. Oftentimes, Adults in Custody are transferred to other jurisdictions. This is often accomplished by what we call “the pipeline,” which is a transit method from jail to jail, in order to get folks across Oregon in a timely and efficient manner without utilizing resources to take an Adult in Custody from Coos County to a remote place in Eastern Oregon. All Adults convicted to a sentence of prison are taken to Coffee Creek Correctional Facility before they go to any other prison. In 2025, there were a total of 296 Adults in Custody transported to various locations throughout the state. There were 81 medical transports, which are normally to local hospitals but may include institutions of higher care depending on the ailment of the person in question. A total of 25,334 miles were driven by Corrections staff, taking folks from one place to another. This includes taking those who are suspected of having a mental illness and who have committed crimes to the Oregon State Hospital. These transports are court-ordered, and the goal is to make the person well enough to aid and assist in their own defense per the Constitutions of Oregon and the United States. While we do very well at ensuring that everyone, staff and residents alike, are kept safe, there are times when incidents occur. There was a total of four assaults which occurred between Adults in Custody. There were also three Deputies assaulted in the performance of their duties by an Adult in Custody. Our corrections staff have a difficult job. Every day they go into a place with very little sunlight, which is made of concrete. Our staff is surrounded by people who are either suspected or convicted of a crime. Sometimes these folks are cooperative, other times they are not. Through it all, I have found that our corrections staff do a very good job of remembering that we are dealing with human beings, someone who is a son, daughter, mother, or father to somebody. We work hard to treat every person with dignity and respect, and sometimes, that is more difficult than it sounds. Lastly, I would mention our court crew. These deputies assist the state courts in maintaining order in the courtrooms. In nearly every trial, arraignment, or appearance of a person who is in custody at the jail, there is a deputy present to ensure the security of the courts and the people who are in attendance. They keep track of appearances and ensure the right people are in the right place at the right time while they are under our care and control. So, there it is, a year in review at the Coos County Jail. As always, we appreciate and love our County and the people who are in it. If you have not heard it enough yet, happy New Year, and Spring is coming! Sean Sanborn Criminal Division Commander