The opening of the 1,223-bed medium-security prison of the Deer Ridge Correctional Institution in Madras has been postponed indefinitely and with it more than 200 jobs.

Inmates were slated to arrive from all over the state beginning in February. Instead, the medium-security portion of the prison will remain empty. Prison officials couldn’t say when the section would open.

The prison has long been touted as a future economic boost to the Madras area, promising around 400 or 500 permanent employees. The change in plans came after the statewide prison population numbers were released in October. There were fewer medium-security inmates than originally thought.

Chane Griggs, public affairs manager for the Department of Corrections in Salem, said the postponement is a good thing.

“There’s a lower number of inmates being incarcerated,” Griggs said.

But 1,223 fewer inmates equals fewer jobs. Around 214 fewer, according to Kevin Hormann, assistant superintendent of Deer Ridge. Prison officials are quick to point out that nobody now working at Deer Ridge will lose his or her job, but officials have essentially put a freeze on hiring. Deer Ridge currently has around 150 employees, with about 15 contract employees, Hormann said.

Madras Mayor Jason Hale has long been an advocate of the prison.

And, he said, he’s not worried.

“I really don’t see any kind of urgency to it,” Hale said.

“No one is going to be laid off and it’s all about sustainability, everything has to be sustained. If there’s not enough inmates right now, well we have space and how many times have you heard people say there isn’t enough space in prisons? Well, now we have space, and it’s just going to take a little while longer.”

He said he was happy with the decision and is glad the Department of Corrections didn’t go ahead and hire a bunch of people and then later lay them off.

Suzanne Porter, the corrections population forecasting analyst, said the Office of Economic Analysis releases the population numbers twice a year. Their most recent forecast, in October, showed a 299-bed decrease from the previous forecast.

She said fluctuations in the prison population are normal but there were also fewer intakes in the past year than what was expected. She added that the overall population forecast is showing steady growth, with an estimated need of 2,610 more beds for the state of Oregon in the next 10 years.

Most of the employees who have been hired to work on the 453-acre site will continue to work in the minimum-security prison.

Hormann expects the 644-bed minimum-security prison will be full by April.

Both Griggs and Hormann pointed out that they are saving taxpayer money by not opening the medium-security portion unnecessarily.

“We won’t have to staff up as much,” Griggs said. “And the cost for an inmate is $77 a day, so there are just fewer costs that need to be covered.”

Of Oregon’s 14 other institutions, there are currently four that have medium-security capabilities, according to Griggs.

When the medium-security inmates do arrive, they will be separated from the minimum-security prisoners. The majority of them will share a 76-square-foot cell with another inmate, unlike the dormitory-style bunks in the minimum-security area.

Minimum-security inmates have less than 36 months left on their sentences. The medium-security inmates, who could be serving four years to life, live in a more stereotypical prison atmosphere with bars and cells.

Deer Ridge Correctional Institute Superintendent Sharon Blackletter said the next set of numbers forecasting the prison population will come out in April.

“We have no time frame,” Blackletter said. “We’ll know more in April.”