It is time to reimagine and transform our criminal justice system. As Oregonians, we can do more to ensure justice is done for victims and their families, defendants, and our communities. Fairness, accountability, and evidence-based practices should always be the foundation of our criminal justice system.
It is time to reimagine and transform our criminal justice system. As Oregonians, we can do more to ensure justice is done for victims and their families, defendants, and our communities. Fairness, accountability, and evidence-based practices should always be the foundation of our criminal justice system.
Mass incarceration has failed. 25 percent of the world's prisoners are locked up here in the US despite our country representing just five percent of the global population. Attempting to address social problems such as poverty, homelessness, and mental illness by incarcerating more people has not worked. We need to take a smarter approach to crime: one that hasn't shown itself to be discriminatory toward people of color and those living in the margins.
Mass incarceration has failed. 25 percent of the world's prisoners are locked up here in the US despite our country representing just five percent of the global population. Attempting to address social problems such as poverty, homelessness, and mental illness by incarcerating more people has not worked. We need to take a smarter approach to crime: one that hasn't shown itself to be discriminatory toward people of color and those living in the margins.
Many incarcerated Oregonians are serving excessively long sentences that advance no public safety purpose and come at a great expense to taxpayers. The Oregon Justice Resource Center challenges excessive sentences and advocates for reform, including abolishing the death penalty, restricting the use of life-without-parole sentences, eliminating solitary confinement, and repealing mandatory minimum sentences.
Many incarcerated Oregonians are serving excessively long sentences that advance no public safety purpose and come at a great expense to taxpayers. The Oregon Justice Resource Center challenges excessive sentences and advocates for reform, including abolishing the death penalty, restricting the use of life-without-parole sentences, eliminating solitary confinement, and repealing mandatory minimum sentences.
Oregon is now facing the unfortunate results of having overlooked its justice-involved women for too long during the era of mass incarceration. Over the past twenty years, the incarceration rate of women in Oregon has tripled, despite Oregon’s crime rate being at 30- year lows and the arrest rate for women having decreased in the last two decades by 36-40%. A deeper discussion needs to take place about the purpose and effectiveness of incarceration as a response to a wide range of crimes, many of them nonviolent and nonsexual in nature. We should question how long we are locking women up for, at what cost and why we are doing so.
Oregon is now facing the unfortunate results of having overlooked its justice-involved women for too long during the era of mass incarceration. Over the past twenty years, the incarceration rate of women in Oregon has tripled, despite Oregon’s crime rate being at 30- year lows and the arrest rate for women having decreased in the last two decades by 36-40%. A deeper discussion needs to take place about the purpose and effectiveness of incarceration as a response to a wide range of crimes, many of them nonviolent and nonsexual in nature. We should question how long we are locking women up for, at what cost and why we are doing so.
The criminalization of immigrants has created a mass deportation system that threatens the integrity of our families and communities. Overly punitive immigration laws and policies often leave noncitizens in the criminal justice system with no meaningful opportunity to fix their status, regardless of the value they contribute to our state. Everyone deserves to be treated with fundamental fairness and dignity, regardless of immigration status.
The criminalization of immigrants has created a mass deportation system that threatens the integrity of our families and communities. Overly punitive immigration laws and policies often leave noncitizens in the criminal justice system with no meaningful opportunity to fix their status, regardless of the value they contribute to our state. Everyone deserves to be treated with fundamental fairness and dignity, regardless of immigration status.
Jail and prison time, fines, restitution, probation, and parole are all punishments for crime. It's right and just that people face the consequences of their actions. But for many formerly incarcerated individuals, their sentence doesn't end when they walk out of prison. There are more than 1100 laws in Oregon that limit people's ability to successfully reintegrate into society. It's better for all of us if those leaving our jails and prisons are able to make a new life for themselves that doesn't involve crime.
Jail and prison time, fines, restitution, probation, and parole are all punishments for crime. It's right and just that people face the consequences of their actions. But for many formerly incarcerated individuals, their sentence doesn't end when they walk out of prison. There are more than 1100 laws in Oregon that limit people's ability to successfully reintegrate into society. It's better for all of us if those leaving our jails and prisons are able to make a new life for themselves that doesn't involve crime.
No criminal justice system will ever get the right answer every time but there's a lot we can do to ensure that Oregon's courts don't send innocent people to prison for crimes they did not commit. The wrong person may be convicted due to faulty eyewitness testimony, false confessions, mistakes with forensics, government misconduct, inadequate defense, or inaccurate information provided by informants.
While innocent people in prison undoubtedly suffer from being convicted and deprived of their freedom, victims, their families, and our community are also harmed. Locking up the wrong person means the guilty person is free and may go on to commit further crimes. Learn how Oregon Innocence Project is helping wrongfully convicted people clear their names.
No criminal justice system will ever get the right answer every time but there's a lot we can do to ensure that Oregon's courts don't send innocent people to prison for crimes they did not commit. The wrong person may be convicted due to faulty eyewitness testimony, false confessions, mistakes with forensics, government misconduct, inadequate defense, or inaccurate information provided by informants.
While innocent people in prison undoubtedly suffer from being convicted and deprived of their freedom, victims, their families, and our community are also harmed. Locking up the wrong person means the guilty person is free and may go on to commit further crimes. Learn how Oregon Innocence Project is helping wrongfully convicted people clear their names.
