PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A draft report by Gov. John Kitzhaber’s Commission on Public Safety says ballot measures instead of business principles are dominating prison sentencing in Oregon and that needs to change.
The report is due to be submitted to the governor on Friday.
Oregon’s prison population has risen significantly over the past 20 years as have incarceration costs.
The commission recommends using cost-benefit analysis when considering sentencing reforms.
The panel has been charged with examining long-term planning efforts on sentencing and public safety, specifically the felony sentencing system.
Its report comes against the backdrop of the state’s increased spending on public safety and prisons, partly as a result of 1994’s Measure 11, which created mandatory minimum sentences for some violent crimes.
