Cost of Incarceration/Budget

What Needs to Change (JM - Winter 04/05)

January 1, 2005

In this issue of Justice Matters, we take a look at some of the critical criminal justice issues we face, and offer a few ideas for change.

In this issue:

OR: Expensive Software at ODOC

October 31, 2004

Problems with a computer program used by the Oregon Department of Corrections are costing taxpayers at least $1 million.

Oregon Halts New Prison Construction

December 31, 2002

In late September, Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber stopped the planned sale of approximately $102 million in "certificates of participation" -- a type of bond that requires no voter approval.

In late September, Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber stopped the planned sale of approximately $102 million in “certificates of participation”—a type of bond that requires no voter a

Oregon: Prisons, Prisons and More Prisons

April 1, 2002

Oregon’s major “public works” project over the last decade has been the building of prisons. In ten years, Oregon has added more than 7,000 prison beds, bringing it to a current capacity of over 11,000—a lot of prison beds for a state with less than 3.5 million people.

National: Good News and Bad News-The Recession's Impact on State Corrections Budgets

April 1, 2002

This article appeared in Spring 2002 JM and describes the status of state budgets in relationship to corrections spending, as of early May, 2002.

Editor’s note: this article was originally written in December, 2001, as states were just beginning to grapple with serious budget shortfalls.

OR: Legislature Passes Prison “Pay for Stay” Bill

June 30, 2001

The Oregon legislature unanimously passed a bill (SB 183) that will require prisoners to pay for their confinement in state prisons.