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Page 2 January 31, 2018 Measure 11 Impacts on Youth Severe Civil rights panel calls for changes Oregon incarcerates young people and transfers them to adult court at a higher rate than almost any other state, according to a re- port released Tuesday by the Or- egon Council on Civil Rights. In fact, Oregon youth face incarcera- tion rates significantly higher than in Texas and Louisiana. The report “Youth and Measure 11: Impacts of Mandatory Mini- mums,” includes specific reform recommendations for a more ef- fective, fair and science-informed approach to youth involvement in the justice system. A key finding from the study shows that Oregon’s harsh sen- tences haven’t kept pace with modern brain science. Although research suggests that the brain doesn’t fully develop until a per- son’s 20’s, Oregon’s rigid man- datory minimum sentences leave little room for a young person’s capacity to change. Young people of color are dis- proportionately harmed by Ore- gon’s criminal justice system: In 2012, black youth were 26 times more likely to be indicted of a Measure 11 crime than their white counterparts. In addition, the costs of Ore- gon’s system are high. The state can spend as much as nearly $100,000 a year per child to in- carcerate Measure 11 offenders. The impact on young people can sometimes feel like a de facto life sentence, with lack of access to stable housing, higher education and employment due to barriers that impact their lives long after they have served their term. “Youth charged under Measure 11 – even those who do not receive an adult sentence — face lifetime Dr. Alisha Moreland-Capuia barriers to education and employ- ment,” said Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian. “Oregon’s juvenile justice system brings high costs and poor outcomes. We should modernize our approach to better prepare young people to have a meaningful life after release.” Dr. Alisha Moreland-Capuia, a The physician, scholar and executive director of the OHSU Avel Gordly Center for Healing, stressed that while our understanding of brain science has changed, Oregon poli- cies have not. “Brain science tells us that for youth, the brain is still ‘under con- struction’,” said Dr. Alisha More- land-Capuia. “Young people lack the skills to effectively navigate an adult criminal justice system that disrupts the development process at a critical stage. Oregon should join the many other states in recognizing the role of brain development in criminal justice reform.” The Oregon Council on Civil Rights’ policy recommendations include making prosecution data, such as demographic data of youth referred to prosecutors’ offices, publicly available to support evi- dence-based policymaking. Youth charged under Measure 11 should not be automatically moved to adult court, but instead a judge should weigh the unique facts of the case before removing a young person from the juvenile system, the panel concluded. Other suggestions include granting youth a chance for a sec- ond-look hearing after serving 50 percent of a sentence and boosting investment in anti-poverty safety net programs that promote family stability and decrease future in- volvement with the criminal jus- tice system. “Oregon can do more to im- prove public safety outcomes while giving young people a chance to thrive,” said Roberta Phillip-Robbins, chair of the Or- egon Council on Civil Rights. “We hope to be a force to adjust our misguided approach to youth and Measure 11. It’s clear that we can make better use of taxpayer resources while improving public safety and reducing recidivism in communities around the state.” Week in Review to get out and fight the flames from the outside. Amtrak Engineer Missed Post Federal investigators say the engineer at the controls of the Amtrak passenger train that derailed south of Seattle needed to slow down before taking a curve over I-5, but missed posted warning signs. The Na- tional Transportation Safety Board released the in- vestigation update Thursday, more than a month af- ter the Dec. 18 derailment that left three people dead and dozens injured. Skipping State of the Union Web: www.sunlanlighting.com • E-mail: kay@lightlady.com 3901 N. Mississippi Ave. • Portland, OR 97227 503.281.0453 • Fax 503.281.3408 Established 1970 USPS 959 680 4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97211 The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope. All created design display ads become the sole property of the newspaper and cannot be used in other publications or personal usage without the written consent of the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition of such ad. © 2008 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. The Portland Observer--Oregon’s Oldest Multicultural Publication--is a member of the National Newspaper Association--Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc, New York, NY, and The West Coast Black Publishers Association CALL 503-288-0033 FAX 503-288-0015 Danny Peterson Washington Jr. o ffice A ssistAnt /s Ales : Shawntell Washington Apology to Black Journalist Housing and Urban Development official with strong ties to the President has apologized for call- ing a member of the press “Miss Piggy” on Twitter last week. The now-deleted tweet from Lynne Pat- ton, a HUD administrator, was aimed at April Ryan, the black Washington bureau chief of American Urban Radio Networks who also is a CNN political analyst. Amid the concerns of more oil trains and the poten- tial for spills, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee rejected a permit for a massive oil-by-rail terminal proposed at the port of Vancouver Monday. Inslee said he agreed with the recommendation of a state energy panel, which voted in November to deny the appli- cation. Mark Washington, Sr. e ditor : Michael Leighton e xecutive d irector : Rakeem Washington A dvertising M AnAger : Leonard Latin Office Manager/Classifieds: Lucinda Baldwin c reAtive d irector : Paul Neufeldt r ePorter /W eb e ditor : A neighborhood generated discussion on changing the name of Jefferson High School drew some pas- sionate arguments during a meeting Monday night at the North Portland Library. Jefferson graduate Clifford Walker, a local black historian and activist, objected to a public high named after a former slave owner. Others warned about a gentrified communi- ty erasing Jefferson’s current history and said they would prefer if neighbors would focus on support- ing and improving the school. Oil Terminal Permit Rejected P ublisher : P ublic r elAtions : Mark Jeff Name Change Debate Earl Blumenauer opted to skip President Trump’s first State of the Union address Tuesday night, but sent Portland “Dreamer” Aldo Solano instead, a lo- cal resident who stands to lose his legal status if Congress doesn’t’ negotiate an extension or perma- nent fix to the Obama administration’s Deferred Ac- tion for Childhood Arrivals program, which expires March 8. Business Center Up in Flames PO QR code news@portlandobserver.com • ads@portlandobserver.com subscription@portlandobserver.com Postmaster: Send address changes to Portland Observer , PO Box 3137 , Portland, OR 97208 A fire destroyed several business housed inside the Macadam Center in southwest Portland Sunday night. People working in a call center noticed smoke coming from an elevator shaft and called 9-1-1. By the time fire fighters got there, the fire had already weakened the building so much hat fire fighters had Cleveland Drops Logo The Cleveland Indians are finally parting ways with their Chief Wahoo logo. In an announcement from the league office on Monday, beginning in 2019, the team’s jerseys will no longer feature the Native American caricature, which has been widely charac- terized as offensive and racist.