MEDIA RELEASE
Contacts: Abbey Stamp (503) 988-5777 and Lily Yamamoto lily.yamamoto@multco.us
Multnomah County is releasing its report examining the implementation of Multnomah County’s Justice Reinvestment Program (MCJRP). The report examines how the data-driven program makes the most of correctional resources, including costly prison beds, in order to achieve the goals of House Bill 3194.
House Bill 3194, which was passed by the Oregon State Legislature in 2013, modifies sentencing and reserves Oregon’s prison space for the most serious, violent criminals. At the same time, it seeks to reduce prison costs through investment in local public safety systems. It was designed to reduce reliance on prison, decrease recidivism, increase public safety and hold offenders accountable.
Multnomah County’s Justice Reinvestment Program is a highly-collaborative process among criminal justice system agencies that uses a risk-based approach to decision-making. The process includes customized case plans for most offenders that informs sentencing. Offenders are placed on intensive supervision and receive treatment services from community providers to help change behavior.
The report was requested early on in the program to monitor outcomes, allow for course corrections, and evaluate the effectiveness of the court process and community-based supervision. A collaborative team of trained, senior-level research and evaluation specialists from throughout the Multnomah County public safety system compiled the report.
Among the findings were:
Multnomah County’s Justice Reinvestment Program has reduced use of Oregon State Prison
There is clear and dramatic evidence that Multnomah County’s Justice Reinvestment Program has successfully reduced prison sentences and imprisonment rates. The initial rate of prison sentences for Justice Reinvestment participants dropped 49% compared to the rate of prison sentences for a pre-Justice Reinvestment comparison group. This reflects a 42% reduction in the rate of imprisonment. This analysis does not distinguish which components of the county’s Justice Reinvestment Program directly caused these changes, although this will continue to be studied. Nevertheless, the cumulative impact of the Justice Reinvestment process has definitely reduced the likelihood of prison sentences for Justice Reinvestment-eligible cases. This is consistent with research conducted by the Criminal Justice Commission (CJC), which also found a dramatic reduction in the number of offenders from Multnomah County being sentenced to prison.
Multnomah County Justice Reinvestment offenders are being maintained safely in our community
Although Multnomah County’s Justice Reinvestment Program shifted approximately 200 defendants from prison to the county community between July 2014 and June 2015, Justice Reinvestment offenders posed no greater risk to the community than offenders who were being sentenced to the community prior to the program’s implementation. There is no significant difference in the 12-month re-arrest rates or the average number of arrest incidents between Justice Reinvestment participants to similar pre-Justice Reinvestment offenders with an equal opportunity to reoffend. Similarly, Justice Reinvestment participants on supervision had similar or better recidivism rates than offenders in the comparison group who were supervised on traditional probation or who were released from prison and supervised on post-prison supervision.
Multnomah County’s Justice Reinvestment is not reducing racial and ethnic disparities in the public safety system
Overall, Justice Reinvestment has reduced the number of participants being sentenced to prison and every racial group saw a reduction in the rate of offenders sentenced to prison. However, Asian and White offenders saw a larger decrease in the rate of prison sentences than Hispanic and Black offenders. More evidence is needed to determine what is driving the disparity in prison sentences and this will continue to be studied. As the program continues, the collaborating partners are committed to monitoring, reducing and developing specific strategies that address racial and ethnic disparities and achieve equality for all offenders.
Click here to learn more about the Multnomah County Justice Reinvestment Program.