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Coffee shop opens inside Pendleton prison with local business partner

PENDLETON 鈥� The men scribbled down orders amid the background din of a coffee grinder, timers and an espresso machine.

Three men worked seamlessly, letting their training guide their hands as more people placed their orders. After years of planning and concept development, months of hard work building walls, running electrical and plumbing, installing cabinets and counter tops, and weeks of training baristas, the first coffee was ready for consumption.

The grand opening for Prison Brews, a coffee shop adults in custody operate inside Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution in Pendleton, took place April 2. Prison Brews partnered with Pendleton鈥檚 Buckin鈥� Bean to provide training for the AIC staff and supply the coffee it sells to correctional staff within the facility.

鈥淚 think that (Prison Brews) creates an opportunity to do things differently than we have ever done before,鈥� said Department of Corrections Director Mike Reese, who attended the opening. 鈥淚 think it breaks down stereotypes from community members about what it is like in prison, who is incarcerated there, and allows, when people leave (prison), for better reentry.鈥�

Not only will the coffee shop offer a new set of skills to the baristas, it also makes life easier for staff members hoping to get their caffeine fix. Liza Emory, EOCI鈥檚 Food Services manager, said it took months to set the program up, but she believes the shop will be a good resource.

Emory also said she鈥檚 excited to be partnering with a local business to provide the shop鈥檚 beans as well as training and support to the men working behind the bar.

Pulling shots with purpose

The training started March 12, when Kirbie Hill, co-owner of the Pendleton coffee shop, began teaching the newly-hired AICs the ins and outs of brewing coffee and how to serve it with a smile.

Kirbie said walking into the prison the first day was a little intimidating.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know what to expect, but honestly, we鈥檙e all people and they鈥檝e been super respectful to me,鈥� she said. 鈥淎ctually, they have better manners than a lot of people on the outside. They鈥檝e been very nice, very gracious hard workers.鈥�

The first day of the seven-day training included basics and provided AICs the opportunity to froth milk. Her husband and co-owner, Winston Hill, taught the baristas the history and theories behind coffee roasting and brewing. During the next six days of training, Kirbie taught the adults in custody how to grind, pull, flavor and serve espresso-based drinks, chai lattes and blended beverages.

Pulling a good shot of espresso is the basis for any well-made latte, the Hills said.

They taught the incarcerated baristas how to look for three layers in the shot as well as the length of time a proper shot should take to pull. Kirbie said the baristas are 鈥渕ore eager to learn than, I鈥檇 say, 90%鈥� of people on the outside 鈥� one of the men even made flash cards so he could quiz himself on different drinks.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a pretty neat deal, so we don鈥檛 mind helping out if we can,鈥� Winston said. 鈥淎nd really, hopefully that means something good for some of those guys.鈥�

Winston pointed out that barista skills are 鈥渆mployable in any city in the country鈥� because there鈥檚 coffee everywhere.

鈥淚t means everything to be offered an opportunity like this. I鈥檓 learning a lot of different skills,鈥� said Michael Morris, one of the Food Services clerks who cross-trained as a barista. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nice having professionals come in and train us, it鈥檚 been really helpful.鈥�

Learning skills that are useful outside of prison has kept the new baristas busy.

鈥淭raining has been a lot of hands-on, practical experience,鈥� said Alek Wright, who went through training by Dutch Bros Coffee at the juvenile facility he was housed at prior to EOCI. 鈥淭he training here was a bit more complete, not just make a shot and dump it in here.鈥�

Prison Brews also serves pastries and bagels the facility’s bakery makes. The bakery produces pastries for the prison鈥檚 population served on a rotation every Friday. The bagels, however, were a first for the AIC bakers.

鈥淚 was a little stressed out at first,鈥� said Devin Killion, Prison Brews鈥檚 resident baker and now a barista. 鈥淣ow that I have (made bagels) a few times it is easy enough, and fun.鈥�

Building toward success

Before pulling the first shot of espresso, months of work went into building and preparing the shop for employees and customers. The coffee shop, equipped with a live-edge wood bar and leather lounging chairs, was constructed in the corner of a multipurpose room used for support group meetings, outreach events and even karaoke nights.

Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution is home to a number of trades that provide AICs an opportunity for on-the-job training similar to what they may experience in society, including workshops and apprenticeship programs.

EOCI offers four main programs that, upon completion, grant AICs the same certifications or journeyman accreditation they would receive if they participated in such programs outside of prison. The prison has operated electrical, plumbing and welding apprenticeship programs for years, and in 2024 accepted the first painting apprentice. There also are nonapprenticeship programs focused on carpentry and auto repair.

鈥淚 get emotional about the apprenticeship programs because of the difference they make in people鈥檚 lives,鈥� said EOCI鈥檚 Superintendent David Pedro. 鈥淚t is our job as an agency and department to provide opportunities.鈥�

The carpentry shop was first on the scene at the site for Prison Brews, framing walls with aluminum to give the space its layout. Next, AICs participating in the electrical apprenticeship program installed wiring for the coffee shop鈥檚 refrigerator, espresso machine, other appliances and even two phones baristas will use to take orders from staff from around the facility. Plumbers ran water and drain lines for appliances and sinks.

Once the plumbers and electricians were finished, the carpentry shop installed drywall. Members of EOCI鈥檚 paint shop gave the space its wheat and cardboard two-toned paint job using atypical tools for work orders within the institution, such as a laser level. The paint shop also was responsible for applying the vinyl logo 鈥� which Creative Signs in Pendleton digitized and printed 鈥� on the door leading into the coffee shop.

鈥淚鈥檝e never used a laser level before so I was kind of curious, because none of the floors in this place are level,鈥� said Zach Schrader, an EOCI paint shop worker with 12 years of experience. 鈥淚t was actually pretty cool. To get (a) precise line for a homeowner or in a residential area, a laser level is good so the line looks better to the eye.鈥�

The carpentry shop also built and installed custom cabinets and countertops once the painters were finished. The wood for the live-edge counters came from a silver maple tree that was cut down in front of the facility. The carpentry shop milled the boards, sanded the counters and coated them with epoxy, giving the two countertops a mirror-like finish.

鈥淲e hired Kelsey Garton Tree Service to cut down the trees, and we milled and planed the boards,鈥� carpentry shop manager Jay Bartlett said. 鈥淎round 200-man hours went into building the cabinets and countertops between the five AICs involved.鈥�

Fellow adults in custody even helped with the baristas鈥� uniforms. Oregon Corrections Enterprises, the organization responsible for making Prison Blues clothing 鈥� the brand upon which the Prison Brews name riffs 鈥� assisted with printing the shop鈥檚 logo on blue aprons.

Brewing positive change

Development of Prison Brews was not limited to AICs or staff associated with the various shops that helped build the coffee shop. The facility held a contest, open to all EOCI staff, to pick the name and logo for the shop.

Of the 144 entries, seven people recommended the name Prison Brews. Then people submitted concepts for the logo, and human resources business partner Cynthia Rodarte, with the assistance of artificial intelligence, created the winning design. She was one of a dozen or so staff members present at the grand opening.

鈥淚t鈥檚 teaching them customer service,鈥� said Tami Clark, an office specialist overseeing the program. 鈥淚t鈥檚 teaching them how to interact with different personalities and different people.鈥�

Staff said during one of the training days the barista skills are useful, but the regular interactions with staff will be invaluable. The baristas feel they鈥檙e gaining skills, too.

鈥淎 life skill we learned is accountability,鈥� Wright, the barista, said. 鈥淲hen I get out, I will have spent half my life in prison. So, having an opportunity to give me employment and a skill set I can use in the outside world means a lot.鈥�

Of the six-person barista team, one or two will be on shift at a time. The shop will have three shifts per day. Except for a break 6-9 p.m., Prison Brews will be open for business from 5:30 a.m. until 12:15 a.m. Eventually, they plan to expand the hours further for staff on overnight shifts.

Prison Brews offers variations of lattes as well as chai, americanos and cold brew. The shop also offers energy drinks and smoothies. Eventually, Food Services staff members said they hope to expand the menu.The coffee shop only serves facility staff for now, but in the future, Food Services would like to serve the visiting room once a week and eventually serve AICs who have clear conduct for a minimum of 18 months.

Emory, the Food Services manager, said success of the shop, to her, is just being open and giving the AICs skills to use upon release.

鈥淚 mean, that鈥檚 what the successful piece of this is, that we鈥檝e trained these guys for a skill set for when they get out,鈥� she said, 鈥渟o they can have an income and they can build their lives (and) become part of the community.鈥�