Street roots
July 6, 2012
May’s election reveals clues to criminal justice reform
BY DAVID ROGERS
C O N T R IB U T IN G C O L U M N IS T
he politics of fear have been a
consistent and dominant force in our
political landscape. Some politicians
resort to scaring the electorate into voting
for them through tough-on-crime rhetoric.
This tactic often manipulates facts and uses
serious hyperbole as a candidate accuses his
or her opponent of being soft on criminals.
The most well-known examples of this
tactic were the Willie Horton television ads
produced by George H.W. Bush in his 1988
presidential campaign against Michael
Dukakis. The Bush campaign advertisement
accused Dukakis of being responsible for
the release of a prisoner named Willie
Horton, who was convicted of murder. While
on release, Willie Horton committed armed
robbery, assault and rape. Willie Horton’s
crimes were tragic and scary, which made
him a perfect political tool. He was also
African American and the Bush campaign
played to the latent racial prejudice in the
electorate. The ads racialized perceptions of
crime and reinforced the problematic
stereotypes of black men as criminals to be
feared. The Willie Horton ad campaign did
exactly what it was intended to do and was
incredibly successful at weakening support
for Dukakis.
What makes tough-on-crime rhetoric such
a useful political tool?
Ultimately everyone wants to be safe. We
want to be able to move about the world
without looking over our shoulders. We want
to send our kids outside to play without
worrying that they will be harmed by
someone. Tough-on-crime rhetoric taps the
natural desire for safety while also tapping
another powerful emotion: fear. The politics
of fear have largely been effective because
voters often have limited facts about what
the most effective approaches to crime
prevention are. The tough-on-crime rhetoric
feeds an intuitive but false perception that a
primary focus on prisons and long criminal
sentences are the best approach to creating
safe communities and reducing crime.
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D avod Rogers is the executive director o f
Partnership fo r Safety a nd Justice. P S J is a
statewide, non-profit advocacy organization
dedicated to m aking Oregon’s approach to crime
a nd public safety more effective a n d more just.
Unfortunately, in a time when voting
decisions are significantly influenced by
sound bites and T V ads, our political
process has little room for informed policy
debates.
Despite this cynical view of the influence
of the politics of fear, Oregon’s May election
suggests that voters are no longer so
vulnerable to old-school, tough-on-crime
approaches. Two races demonstrate a real
shift in voters’ attitudes.
The Attorney General’s race came down
to two people: Dwight Holton and Ellen
Rosenbaum. Holton who was an interim U .S.
Attorney and had an air of inevitability about
him. He was often framed as the presumed
front-runner. Rosenbaum was a former
prosecutor and judge.
Other than their genders, the distinctions
that emerged between the candidates
debates and interviews really came down to
different beliefs around criminal justice and
drug policy. Dwight Holton received the
overwhelming majority of endorsements
from district attorneys, sheriffs, and law
enforcement. He positioned himself as an
old-school law and order guy that didn’t
appear interested in supporting serious
conversations about the need for sentencing
reform or changes to our outdated,
mandatory minimum laws.
Ellen Rosenbaum, on the other hand,
recognized that Oregon’s corrections
spending has skyrocketed, putting severe
strain on the budget. The state’s prison
population has more than doubled since the
ran a T V ad talking about shifting Oregon’s
passage of harsh mandatory minimums in
priorities:
1994, and Ellen expressed interest in
“In Oregon, we spent $1.4 billion on
finding ways to reduce prison spending,
prisons, but we’re closing schools in
support safe and sensible sentencing
Portland. It just doesn’t make sense...We
reform, and update Oregon’s approach to
need more books, not more prison bunks.”
public safety that wasn’t dumping all our
Many elected leaders offer quiet support
limited resources into prisons.
to smart-on-crime public safety reform, but
On top of these
few are willing to
distinctions, Dwight
lead with it. Well, in
Holton positioned
this instance,
himself in opposition
Tongh-oa-crline rhetoric taps Williamson prevailed
to Oregon’s medical
providing another
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hile
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Oregon’s voters want
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powerful! emotions fear, The
to see something
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different than the
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been
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medical marijuana
This May’s
often
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ite
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election results offer
saw it as the Attorney about what the most
a glimpse into
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changing attitudes
‘effective approaches to
enforce it.
toward crime policy.
crime
prevention
are.
Despite Dwight
But this shift has
Holton’s presumed
been happening for
front-runner status,
several years now. In
Rosenbaum crushed
2008, the state saw
him in May’s primary by almost a hundred
two competing crime-related ballot measures
thousand votes. Yes, this was a Democratic
go head to head. Measure 61, sponsored by
primary, and so only a portion of the
Kevin Mannix, would have created new
electorate voted. Nevertheless, this
mandatory minimums for a range of
represents a clear sign that voters are
addiction-driven crimes. The state estimated
beginning to support a smart-on-crime
the measure would have cost over a billion
approach.
dollars for new prison construction and
This shift was also highlighted by the
operation, yet it didn’t provide any
Democratic primary race in State House
investment in addiction treatment. Measure
District 36. Jennifer Williamson was in a
57, offered as an alternative by the
legislature, provided some sentencing
very tight race with Sharon Meieran. This
enhancements for drug and property crime
race was for an open seat left vacant when
but rejected traditional mandatory minimum
Rep. Mary Nolan chose to run for Portland
schemes and, perhaps most importantly,
City Commission,
strengthened access to addiction treatment
Jennifer Williamson ran a campaign
and drug courts. Measure 57 won,
highlighting a number of critical issues, and
demonstrating when voters are given a
among them was the need for a different
choice, the tough-on-crime rhetoric is no
approach to public safety. Her campaign
longer a slam dunk.
wasn’t afraid of smart-on-crime frames
As the 2012 election season ramps up,
rather than tough-on-crime rhetoric. She
let’s hope fewer candidates try and
actually embraced the promotion of sensible
manipulate us using the politics of fear.
criminal justice reform, so much so that she
Answers on page 6
By Cole Merkel
Sudoku
Crossword
Across
1. Edison’s incandescent
5. Sir, in India
10. Boutique
14. Gelatin substitute
15. NW Portland district
16. Spoils
17. “The S un___ Rises”
18. Ice house
19. Choir part
20. “How I Met Your Mother,”
e.g.
23. Window, e.g.
24. Praise
25. Alaskan tundra town
28. Tail
30. Between ports
31. Couple’s dance
33. Crew tool
36. Soviet symbols
40. British ram
41. Baby kangaroos
42. Kind of race
43. Cry like a baby
44. Feast
46. Poison plant
49. Fowl place
51. Passports, for one
57. Carribean tuber
58. Equestrian
59. Curved molding
60. Swerve
61. Pond buildup
62. Russian river
63. Historic periods
64. Incessantly
65. Lord’s worker
Down
1. Pastoral sounds
2. Wrinkly fruit
5 9
•8
8
1
3
8 2
4
2
1
8
6
7
1 5
4
2
3
4
3. Bringing up the rear
4. Enclosed carriage
5. Medieval hospital for
contagious patients
6. Patronage
7. Angelic headbands
8. Wrinkle remover
9. Coalition
10. Irish cops
11. Freed from illness
12. One-up
13. Calculated actions to outdo
21. Hopworks Crosstown Pale
22. Cousin of a giraffe
25. Thai currency
26. Brother of Jacob
27. Office fill-in
28. GM brand abbr. (until 2004)
29. Trigonometry abbr.
31. Scottish highlander
32. In the least
33. Gumbo thickener
34. “___for the poor”
35. Sabbath activity
37. DVD button
38. Propel a boat
39. Confusing argument
43. Estates
44. Ocean’s noise, last week
45. N.Y.C. zone
46. Strainer
47. Milk source
48. Euripides drama
49. Chain of hills
50. Neptune’s realm
52. It’s south of Georgia
53. Greek pastry sheet
54. Shrek, e.g.
55. Within view
56. Narcissist’s love
4
5
1
2
6
3
The objective of Sudoku is to fill all the blank squares with the
correct numbers, from 1 to 9. Every row, column and square must
include all digits, 1 through 9, in any order.
Office Cat Rooty says
thgnk you to all our
volunteers who work so
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