Oregon House Passes Major Public Safety Reform

The Oregon House of Representatives passed a bipartisan public safety reform measure that will enable significant new investments in community public safety by controlling the growth of Oregon’s prison population for at least five years.

HB 3194A, which is supported by a wide variety of law enforcement and other public safety advocates, will ensure Oregon’s corrections dollars produce better public safety results by investing in proven front-line public community corrections strategies.

“Today marks a victory in the ongoing effort to craft public safety policy based on the evidence about what works best to keep communities safe,” said Rep. Andy Olson (R-Albany), who served as Co-Chair of the Joint Public Safety Committee along with Rep. Chris Garrett (D-Lake Oswego) and Senators Floyd Prozanski (D-Eugene) and Jackie Winters (R-Salem). “This bipartisan effort is the culmination of years of work, beginning with the formation of the Governor’s Commission on Public Safety. Oregonians should be proud.”

“Two of our most important jobs in government are to keep the public safe and to make wise use of public money,” said Garrett.  “By investing in critical crime-fighting resources including community corrections, victim services, state police and local sheriffs, we will improve public safety, while giving taxpayers a better return on investment.”

Without a change in policy, Oregon prisons are predicted to grow by 2,000 inmates over the coming ten years, costing taxpayers $600 million in addition to the $1.3 billion currently spent every two years on the Department of Corrections. A broad coalition of advocates from across the political spectrum have urged action to rein in prison growth and spending.

HB 3194 is designed to make the corrections system more sustainable.  The bill will prioritize prison beds for serious violent offenders, expanding probation programs for lesser nonviolent offenses such as marijuana possession and other drug offenses, yielding a minimum $326 million in savings at the Department of Corrections over the next decade.

The bipartisan legislation will enhance evidence‐based, cost‐effective community supervision practices by requiring the use of risk and needs assessments to determine probation supervision conditions; and implementing statewide standards for specialty courts. Additionally, the reform efforts will include a number of investments in services and support for victims of crime.

The Joint Public Safety Committee was formed at the beginning of the 2013 Legislative Session, evenly divided between Republican and Democratic senators and representatives. The committee worked with victims’ rights, public safety, and other advocates for the duration of the session to craft a policy that would achieve the dual goals of cost reduction and improved community public safety.  HB 3194 was advanced by the committee on a 9-1 vote on June 24.

House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland) commended the committee. “The whole bipartisan committee came together to deliver results for Oregonians that will pay dividends for years to come. I applaud Co-Chairs Olson and Garrett in particular for helping shepherd this important legislation through the House.”

HB 3194 now moves to the Oregon Senate.