Safety and Sentencing

Our Safety and Sentencing program works to develop approaches to public safety that help foster safe communities, are fiscally responsible, and curb the unsustainable growth of Oregon’s prison system. The program promotes safe and sensible sentencing reform (such as use of earned time), diversion programs like drug court, and has a special emphasis on youth justice.

Program Spotlight

What the Revenue Forecast Means for Public Safety Reform

Much of the conversation about needed corrections reform has focused on getting money to our crumbling local public safety infrastructure. But Oregonians shouldn’t forget that the need to pass HB 3194, a comprehensive package of corrections reforms, isn’t about saving money (and it never was).

New Polling Boosts Public Safety Reforms

New polling shows Oregonians are ready to shift toward strategies that maintain accountability, modify sentencing to allow for greater investments in crime prevention, and restore balance to our justice system.

Join the Surge for Oregon’s Public Safety Reform

We are at one of the most critical times in this legislative session regarding the future of smart public safety reform. We need your help. We need to have as many legislators hear directly from their constituents as possible.

Racial Impact Statements Move Forward

A bill was co-sponsored by Senator Chip Shields and Senator Jackie Winters passed the Senate and brings Oregon one step closer to creating Racial Impact Statements for criminal justice and child welfare related bills.

PSJ Members and Allies Testify at the Capitol

PSJ members and allies made a strong showing this past week at hearings for HB 3194, the omnibus reform bill that would modify sentences and reinvest savings into the parts of our public safety infrastructure that need it most.

Issue News

The High Cost Of Measure 11

"You need only to look to our neighbors to the south to see the toll a runaway prison system takes on a state budget"" (Mail Tribune)

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OR Public Safety Poll: A Lot Has Changed Since 1994

A recent poll shows that Oregonians want to invest more in crime prevention instead of prison growth and that voters support changes in how Oregon treats youth who are in our criminal justice system. (Public News Service)

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Will the Legislature protect women in danger?

Crime survivor advocates in rural Oregon have seen their program budgets slashed while the requests for their services have increased dramatically. They call on the legislature to pass HB 3194 to curb prison growth and reinvest those dollars into local public safety efforts proven to reduce crime.

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Paying for Oregon’s prisons

KOIN interviewed Gov. Kitzhaber about smart changes to our public safety system. “If you want a good return on taxpayer dollars,” he told KOIN 6 News, “you spend it on preventions.”

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Transition programs prevent crime, serve inmates

Paul Solomon, PSJ's Board Chair, supports passage of HB 3194, a comprehensive sentencing and corrections reform package that will remove the need for $600 million in new spending on prison expansion and invest instead in less costly, more effective community programs. (Register Guard)

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