Street roots
June 8, 2012
Momentum building for public safety reform in Oregon
BY N AIVASH A DEAN
Mandatory minimum sentencing laws such
as Ballot Measure 11, which severely limit
ith about eight months to go until
judges’ ability to create a sentence based on
our next legislative session,
the specifics of a case and the impact on the
Oregonians can feel the vice-grip of
victim, have caused Oregon’s prison
our multi-billion dollar deficit tightening. population
We
to more than double in the past
are tired of the cuts. We are tired of crisis
two decades. We are currently on a path to
mode. We are really tired of having to choose
add 2,000 more prison beds in the next 10
between funding our
years. Every dollar spent on a prison bed
prisons and educating our
means one less dollar to spend somewhere
children — and when K-12
else. Failure to change this trajectory now
class sizes grow right
will mean even more cuts to our
along with prisons, we’ve
underfunded education and health care
made those choices.
systems, and even less funding for programs
Likewise, it’s senseless
that are proven to prevent people from
when funding shortages
entering the criminal justice system in the
back county law
first place.
enforcement into a corner
The governor recognized the need to slow
— counties such as Josephine County, which
this unsustainable growth in our corrections
has begun dismantling its sheriff’s office and
budget, when he created the first
is cutting its road patrol hours in half.
Commission on Public Safety in July 2011.
That’s why Partnership for Safety and
The commission recommended a reform of
Justice is happy to be able to share some
the state’s sentencing laws, and endorsed a
good news: This imbalance in priorities and
strategy called “justice reinvestment,” which
spending is being called into question. On
would shift public safety resources to
May 14, Oregon got two major boosts
programs that research has shown can
towards a vital goal: reforming our public
reduce crime and save money - such as
safety system to become more cost-efficient
addiction treatment, re-entry programs, and
and effective. The first leg-up came directly
victims’ services. The reconvened
from the desk of Gov. John Kitzhaber, who
commission will continue to be led by
reconvened a new and expanded Commission Oregon Supreme Court Justice Paul
on Public Safety, a bipartisan, inter-branch
DeMuniz and includes two Democratic and
task force charged with figuring out ways to
two Republican members of the Legislature,
use Oregon’s limited public safety dollars in a a representative for the Governor’s office
smart way. The second came from a national
and a public member. The expanded list of
source: The Pew Public Safety Performance
members includes a district attorney, a trial
Project, which announced that it has decided
judge, and representatives from community
to step in and provide crucial technical
corrections, the Sheriff’s Association and the
support to the commission’s efforts.
Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.
These are major developments in a long-
Discussions around ways to rebalance
overdue process. Policy makers across the
Oregon’s out-of-date public safety system
state are recognizing that we cannot delay a
have happened in the past, but this
reexamination of our public safety policies,
conversation is different. The Governor’s
and that the corrections budget, which now
Office, along with legislative leadership, is
exceeds $1.4 billion, can no longer be
enthusiastically on board. A broad-based
allowed to siphon funding from other
coalition of education, business, and criminal
fundamental parts of the public safety
justice advocates who want to get Oregon’s
system, such as law enforcement, drug and
corrections spending back on track are also
alcohol treatment, and victims’ services. As
pushing for reforms. There’s also the
the governor’s office acknowledges, Oregon’s economic climate, which makes reform
last comprehensive review of our sentencing
urgent and unavoidable. And finally, there’s
policies took place back in 1989, and since
the fact that Oregon’s efforts have attracted
then, a lot has changed.
the attention of some very influential and
C O N T R IB U T IN G C O L U M N I S T
W
CZ»
and
SAFETY
JUSTICE
Naivasha Dean is the
membership
coordinator for
Partnership for Safety
and fustice. P S J is a
statewide, non-profit
advocacy
organization
dedicated to making
Oregon’s approach to
crime and public
safety more effective
and more just.
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Cr
EQWL HÖUWG
LENDER
M em ber
important national folks — the Pew Center on
the States.
Pew has a proven track record of success
in reforming correctional spending. Texas,
Kentucky, and most recently, Georgia, have
all benefited from Pew’s technical assistance
in their public safety reform efforts. Early
last month, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed
a package of reforms into law that is
estimated to save more than $250 million
over the next five years. Pew’s selection of
Oregon as a priority state is a tribute to the
leadership of our policy makers, and
demonstrates the faith that Pew has in our
ability to make smart changes to our
sentencing and corrections policies.
Pew’s prowess for gathering data has
already been a big help. They released
polling that shows broad support among
Oregonians for public safety reform —
welcome news for anyone who wants to build
safer, healthier communities in Oregon. The
numbers show that voters would prefer to
cut prison spending than cut K-12 education,
health care services or higher education, or
raise property or business taxes. And in what
would seem to be a direct challenge to
Measure 11, the polling found that 82
percent of voters support shorter sentences
for prisoners if combined with a stronger
parole and probation system, and that 77
percent support giving judges more say in
cases that mandate a specific prison
sentence. These results prove what reform
advocates have long known to be true: When
Oregonians are given accurate information,
they choose smart public safety approaches.
They want their tax dollars used wisely.
The news from Pew and the governor’s
office is a hopeful beginning to a long
process of deliberation that will eventually
equip the 2013 legislature with smart, well-
researched guidelines for public safety
reform. Momentum is building, and it’s time
to get excited and involved for the road
ahead. If you care about education, health,
and safety, you care about this. Talk to your
legislator about being smart on public safety,
and stay informed on the commission’s
progress. And meanwhile, celebrate!
Congratulations are in order, Oregon. But it’s
up to all of us to turn this momentum into
positive change.
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