Oregon Corrections Employees Information Compromised

SALEM, Ore. - About 500 Oregon Department of Corrections employees are being notified that their personal information may have been compromised. The agency says it learned about two weeks ago that a thumb drive that may have contained names, social security numbers and other payroll information got into the hands of a non-employee.

The Department says there's no evidence yet that any personal information has been misused. Tim Woolery is with the union that represents most Corrections employees in Oregon.

Tim Woolery: "We're highly concerned about peoples' personal information, particularly because of the line of work that a lot of our folks are in. And we don't want that information out into the public realm."

Woolery is the Corrections Coordinator for the Oregon chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The security breach affected prison workers at institutions in Lakeview, Madras and North Bend.

The Department of Corrections is offering a year of free credit monitoring to affected employees.

On the Web:

Oregon DOC situation briefing:

http://www.oregon.gov/DOC/PUBAFF/docs/pdf/info_breach.pdf

Oregon AFSCME Corrections:

http://www.afscmecorrections.org/

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