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October 11, 2017
Justice Reform Effort Grows
Grant allows
county to target
jail misuse and
overuse
Multnomah County has added
momentum to efforts to reform the
local criminal justice system and
reduce the county jail population
by winning a $2 million grant to
study ways to reduce over-incar-
ceration.
The John D. and Catherine T.
MacAurhur Foundation grant is
part of a national initiative to re-
duce over-incarceration. It was an-
nounced last week after a competi-
tive process that drew applications
from nearly 200 jurisdictions in 45
states and territories.
The new round of funding will
provide additional support and ex-
pert technical assistance to imple-
ment strategies that address the main
drivers of local jail incarceration, in-
cluding unfair and ineffective prac-
tices that take a particularly heavy
toll on people of color, low-income
communities, and people with men-
tal health and substance abuse is-
sues, officials said.
Local justice reform advocate
Julia Yoshimoto of the Women’s
The Multnomah County Justice Center, downtown, includes a jail
with several floors reserved for prisoners.
Justice Project, said the funding
represents an important opportu-
nity to finally address the disparate
treatment of people in color in our
justice system.
“That race and ethnicity are a
clear predictor of the outcome an
individual entering the system can
expect goes against the fairness
and equal treatment county resi-
dents expect from their justice sys-
tem,” Yoshimoto said.
She was most impressed that the
county is proposing a new shelter to
help justice-involved women and
The
their families and avoid the lasting
damage incarceration can do while
giving them a chance to rehabili-
tate themselves in ways that don’t
compromise public safety.
Deborah Kafoury, Multnomah
County chair, said the grant will
help the county push its justice
reform efforts further, including
developing a robust program for
women grappling with mental
health challenges and offering
them cultural, gender-specific, and
trauma-informed services they
need.
Week
in
Review
Deadly Wildfires Explode
in California with Dry, Windy Gusts
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ESPN Anchor Defended
Rashad Robinson, executive
director of Color of Change
Tuesday
called
ESPN’s
suspension of black sports
anchor Jamele Hill “a flagrant
suppression of Black voices in
sports.” The co-host of ESPN
Sports Center was suspended for two weeks Monday
after tweeting criticisms of Dallas Cowboys owner
Jerry Jones, who warned on Sunday that his players
who did not stand for the flag would be benched.
Hateful Note Found in County Breakroom
e ditor :
P ublic r elAtions : Mark
Deadly wildfires exploded through forests and
residential neighborhoods in California Sunday and
Monday when dry conditions and gusts of wind
exasperated the flames. The death toll from the fires
stood at 13 deaths on Tuesday, with at least 1,500
structures destroyed, and 100,000 acres of land
burned.
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A written message threatening Muslims was discovered
in a Multnomah County office break room for health
department and other workers at 21 S.W. Oak St. last
week. County Commissioner Loretta Smith, the only
black member of the county commission said the
incident was “sad confirmation of the work that needs
to be done to change the culture of hate, intolerance
and racism at Multnomah County.”
Strip Club Exotica’s Lawsuit Moves Forwardd
A federal judge ruled last week that Donna Thames,
owner of the now-closed northeast Portland strip club
Exotica International Club for
Men, can move forward with
her lawsuit claiming the city
forced her to shut down through
racist enforcement of liquor
laws. One of the few local clubs
that catered to black clientele
closed in 2015 after it lost
money when the city forced it to close at midnight for
three months after a shooting in the parking lot.
Cory Hall Steps in as OSU Beaver Coach
Cory Hall, a former college football and NFL star,
was named interim coach of the Oregon State
Beavers on Monday after the
surprise departure of Gary
Anderson who voluntarily
gave up the job with millions
of dollars left on his contract.
OSU Athletic Director Scott
Barnes says a national search
for a permanent replacement
will begin.
Oregon Gun Control Repeal Effort Fails
A new Oregon law that allows a court to deny a gun
to a person deemed at risk of suicide or harming
others will remain in place after an effort to repeal
it has failed due to lack of signatures to put it on
the ballot. Chief petitioner Rep Mike Nearman, a
Republican from Independence. blamed Democratic
Gov. Kate Brown for delaying the signing of the
bill, leaving little time to gather signatures under a
required timeline.
Trump puts Birth Control Coverage in Peril
The Trump administration on Friday moved to
expand the rights of employers to deny women
insurance coverage for contraception and issued
sweeping guidance on religious freedom that critics
said could also erode civil rights protections for
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.