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Roots • Nov. 20-26, 2015 News The D A agenda: reduce incarceration Page M ultnom ah County's incarceration rate is less than h a lf the national average, but disparities remain BY EMILY GREEN STAFF W R ITER hen Rod Underhill attached his name to new group aimed at putting fewer people behind bars, he made a symbolic statement more prudent district attorneys up for reelection might shy away from. The group, Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration, announced its arrival on Oct. 21 at a press conference in Washington, D.C. Thus far members include more than 150 current and former police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors and attorneys general from all 50 states who say they’re committed to advocating loudly for fundamental changes to America’s justice system. “As our nation’s top police and prosecutors reflect back on their careers, we have come to understand that many of the so-called tough-on-crime principles to which many of us gave our lives are flat out wrong,” said member Maj. Neill Franklin, a former police commander in Baltimore, Md. Law Enforcement Leaders plans to advocate for alternatives to arrests, end mandatory minimums and reduce incarceration - while maintaining public safety. It’s a project of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of she stays in the community and is enrolled years ago to 1,310 today. And the length of Law. in wraparound services, such as drug and stay at county jails is 12.7 days, much The bulk of prosecutors who signed on alcohol treatment, housing and mental shorter than the national average, which is with the national advocacy group are also health services. If participants violate 23 days. members of the Association of Prosecuting probation or commit another crime, they According to recent analysis by the John Attorneys - Underhill sits on its board of are revoked from the program and sent to D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, directors. prison to serve out their sentence. the incarceration rate in Multnomah County “It’s a group of prosecutors from around Underhill said if this 15-month-old is less than half the national average. the country who tend to think similarly,’’ he program proves successful, he’d like to While incarceration rates are down and said. “We can agree on a lot of things. But make it available to more offenders. jail beds are fewer, Multnomah County has everybody has their certain point,” he said - But at this point in the program, “we room for improvement in the disparate his being mandatory minimums, also known don’t have the answer to a very, very ; representation of minority groups and as determinate sentencing. important question,” he said. I mentally ill people within its jails and “I am a supporter of many of the If his office recommends keeping courtrooms. determinate sentencing schemes we have someone in the community instead of Underhill noted a MacArthur study found here in Oregon,” he said, noting when it prison, and then that person commits a disproportionate number of cases coming comes to murder, “I prefer the post Ballot another crime, that’s something he needs to into his office for review involve the African Measure 11 environment.” be watching for, Underhill said. American community -- “4.3 to 1 ratio, black Underhill told Street Roots his motivation “It’s my job to be responsible,” he said. to white.” for joining Law Enforcement Leaders came “Have we kept the right people here on African Americans are 6.5 times and from a shared philosophy he’s already put supervision and given them a chance for Native Americans are 3.2 times more likely into practice as one of the chief designers of success? And how well are our programs than whites to be booked into Multnomah Oregon House Bill 3194 - a piece of 2013 doing in facilitating and assisting in that County jails, according to county numbers. legislation that funded programs to reduce success?” He noted, however, that this disparity is recidivism and the number of inmates To date, 90 percent of offenders in the not exacerbated when his prosecution team counties were sending to state correctional program have been successful, with 32 out reviews cases - deciding which ones to facilities. It also relaxed sentencing of 324 individuals enrolled in the program move forward on and which ones to drop - guidelines for nonviolent drug and property having been revoked to prison. meaning percentage-wise, the number of crimes. Most revocations were due to technical cases his office prosecutes among different Locally, it created the Multnomah County violations, such as not going to treatment, races is fairly flat. He said there are even Justice Reinvestment Program, where some using drugs and failing to report, according “modest reductions” in some areas. individuals facing prison sentences are to Multnomah County spokesperson David Mentally ill individuals are also taking up offered intensive probation instead. Austin. He said these violations occur after a disproportionate number of jail beds. Offenders convicted of property crimes, the probationer is given several warnings. Forty percent of people booked into drug offences and some Tier II Measure 11 Underhill said in addition to decreasing Multnomah County jails suffer from mental offenses, such as second-degree kidnapping, the number of inmates the county sends to illness, and they usually stay longer. robbery and assault, are assessed for prison, the number of county jail beds has eligibility. If an offender participates, he or dropped significantly - from 2,100 several See INCARCERATIO N, page 7 ■ P H O T O B Y JO E G L O D E M ultnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill
