They Report To You

A Campaign for District Attorney Accountability

They Report To You
  • ABOUT
    • Who We Are
    • Contact Us
    • Why DAs Matter
  • GET THE FACTS
    • What Is a DA?
    • What Makes a DA So Powerful?
    • Who Holds DAs Accountable?
    • Who’s My DA?
    • FAQs
  • ISSUES
    • Police Accountability
    • Mandatory Minimums
  • DA ELECTIONS
    • How They Work
    • Roadblocks To Reform
    • The Governor’s Role
  • TAKE ACTION
    • Sign the Voter Pledge
    • Share Your Story
    • Request A Speaker
    • Contact Us
  • RESOURCES
    • Press Releases
    • Media Stories
    • Videos
    • Blog
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Oregon Supreme Court Takes Step Toward Reforming State Sentencing Laws

  • Media Story
Oregon Supreme Court Takes Step Toward Reforming State Sentencing Laws

The Oregon Supreme Court handed criminal justice reform advocates a victory Thursday—and potentially saved the state from having to build a new prison.

In 2017, the Oregon State Legislature passed a law that eased sentencing rules around property theft. By shortening the length of sentences for those convicted of theft, the bill aimed to help solve Oregon’s prison crowding problem. That would also help the state avoid the need to build a second women’s prison, which would have cost an estimated $17.5 million.

Later that year, Clackamas County District Attorney John Foote sued the state, saying that the bill—titled the Safety and Savings Act—was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court unanimously upheld the new law’s constitutionality in a Thursday ruling.

“The Safety and Savings Act was a significant effort by the Legislature to bring commonsense reform to the state’s criminal justice system,” said Kimberly McCullough, policy director at the ACLU of Oregon, in a statement sent to the Mercury Thursday. “We are relieved the law was upheld.”

Read More (Offsite)

Tagged

DA AccountabilityDA Accountability: LocalDistrict Attorneys

Share

Related Posts

ACLU: DA’s need policies to ensure fairness, accountability

April 9, 2019

Prosecutors Sometimes Behave Badly. Now They May Be Held to Account.

April 5, 2019

Opinion: Time to raise the bar for district attorneys

April 3, 2019

ACLU calls for DAs to make policies public

April 2, 2019

Select Articles by Topic Tag

Criminal Justice Reform (2) DA Accountability (35) DA Accountability: Local (11) DA Elections (7) District Accountability (10) District Attorney: Local (21) District Attorneys (26) Ethics (1) Fiscal Responsibility (1) Justice (1) National News (5) Oregon News (11) Police Accountability (2) Press Releases (2) Racial Justice (4) Sentencing (2) Sentencing Minimums (1) War on Drugs (1) Wasted Tax Dollars (2) What Makes DAs So Powerful? (9) When DAs Break Laws (1) Who Holds DAs Accountable? (1) Why DAs Matter (3)

Recent Posts

  • ACLU OF OREGON CALLS ON LEGISLATURE TO PASS HB 3224, REQUIRING ALL DISTRICT ATTORNEYS TO CREATE WRITTEN POLICIES
    April 16, 2019 - 9:52 pm
  • ACLU: DA’s need policies to ensure fairness, accountability
    April 9, 2019 - 10:36 pm
  • Prosecutors Sometimes Behave Badly. Now They May Be Held to Account.
    April 5, 2019 - 10:34 pm
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Media Story
  • Oregon Supreme Court Takes Step Toward Reforming State Sentencing Laws

CONTACT US

General Inquiries:
[email protected]

Mail:
ACLU of Oregon
PO Box 40585
Portland, OR, 97240

THEY REPORT TO YOU

A Campaign for District Attorney Accountability
Brought to you by ACLU of Oregon

We’re Social

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Log In

SEARCH

They Report to YOU Compact Logo

© 2022 They Report To You

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • ABOUT
  • GET THE FACTS
  • ISSUES
  • DA ELECTIONS
  • TAKE ACTION
  • RESOURCES
  • ABOUT
    • Who We Are
    • Contact Us
    • Why DAs Matter
  • GET THE FACTS
    • What Is a DA?
    • What Makes a DA So Powerful?
    • Who Holds DAs Accountable?
    • Who’s My DA?
    • FAQs
  • ISSUES
    • Police Accountability
    • Mandatory Minimums
  • DA ELECTIONS
    • How They Work
    • Roadblocks To Reform
    • The Governor’s Role
  • TAKE ACTION
    • Sign the Voter Pledge
    • Share Your Story
    • Request A Speaker
    • Contact Us
  • RESOURCES
    • Press Releases
    • Media Stories
    • Videos
    • Blog