Safety and Sentencing News

Senate bill would reduce sentencing disparities in crack, powder cocaine cases
A long-standing dispute over huge disparities in sentencing between crack vs. powdered cocaine appears to be headed for a resolution in Congress.
Editorial: Fix Early Release
We need to repair the existing legislation, not abandon the increase in earned time. Oregon isn't alone in trying to find alternatives to high prison spending, and earned time is a good solution. (Register-Guard)
Alarmist NY Times Story Could Hurt Efforts To Reduce Overcrowded Prisons
"Shame on the Times". Jill Harris from the Drug Policy Alliance responds to a recent New York Times article about states working to solve their budget crisis by sentence reductions. (Huffington Post)
Oregon offers online voter registration
Oregonians can register to vote online as Oregon becomes the fourth state in the nation to offer voters an electronic path to the polls. (Oregonian)
Video - Youth in the Adult Prisons
A Campaign for Youth Justice documentary that sheds light on the growing problem of convicting youth as adults and sending them to the adult prison system. Young prisoners and moms tell the horrifying truth about how young lives are ruined in the adult system.
House Human Services Committee Focuses on DV
Since Nov, 19 women and children have lost their lives to domestic violence. On Feb 19, the House Human Services Committee heard from service providers and allied professionals about how Oregon can better respond to DV.
Turn Wapato into Oregon's next prison
As the state is paving the way for a new prison in Junction City, the Oregonian continues to urge that no prisons should be built while Wapato is sitting empty. (The Oregonian)
Rep. Buckley: How Earned Time Fits Into the Big Picture
Listen to Rep. Peter Buckley (D-Ashland), Co-chair of the Joint Committee on Ways & Means, talk about how earned time fits into the bigger picture of keeping Oregon's infrastructure in tact.
Prisons, Redistricting and the Census
The U.S. Census counts prisoners in the districts that the prison is located. "This practice typically increases the political power of rural areas where prisons are built and diminishes the influence of the urban areas to which inmates eventually return." (New York Times Editorial)
Imaginary fiends - Crime in America keeps going down. Why does the public refuse to believe it?
The crime rate has dropped, yet most Americans believe it has risen. Why is there a difference between public perception and the facts? (Boston Globe)