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State ending commutations for undocumented inmates

The Columbian
Published: April 10, 2011, 12:00am

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The state is scrapping a program for commuting the sentences of undocumented-immigrant inmates, saying it didn’t save as much money as anticipated.

The Statesman Journal reports that Gov. John Kitzhaber, who took office in January, won’t renew the program when it expires in July.

It was designed to save the state money by shaving as much as six months off the sentences of undocumented immigrants in state custody for nonviolent offenses. They could then be turned over to federal authorities for deportation.

But the program did not live up to expectations due to legal complications and wasn’t worth the administrative effort. Corrections officials say the program saved $172,000 by shaving time off the sentences of 44 inmates last year, rather than the $2 million that was projected.

Part of the issue with the program was that a federal appeals court held in an unrelated case that certain illegal immigrants facing “stipulated removal” have a right to counsel and, when necessary, qualified translators.

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