Safety and Sentencing 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)
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)
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.
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.”
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)
Youth in Adult Criminal Court: A Turn in the Wrong Direction
Changes to Measure 11 are politically difficult. But the facts and research are in our favor. In many ways, OR is a national leader in our approach to youth justice and accountability, except for the way our mandatory minimum laws automatically treat youth as adults in the criminal justice system.
Alternatives to Prison that Work
The public generally feels that people who are convicted of crimes need to be held accountable. We agree. However, for people who commit crimes fueled by addiction, there are alternatives to prison that can hold people accountable while more effectively addressing the root cause of the offense.
PSJ Members Who are Making a Difference
Come and meet a few of our members who are really making a difference.
Re-Entry Success in Oregon
Ninety-five percent of people in prison in the US will eventually be released. What can be done to help people who are released from prison be successful? Here are three success stories we find inspirational!
Just Facts: Oregon's Public Safety System
Despite what you might have heard to the contrary, Oregon does many things right; but, our public safety system is trending in the wrong direction. Here are some facts you may not know.