NCJ Number
230663
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 72 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2010 Pages: 62-66
Date Published
February 2010
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article examines Oregon's system of calculating the costs of incarceration and crime.
Abstract
In 1989, Oregon switched its sentencing and incarceration policy and began using sentencing guidelines rather than a parole matrix. This change resulted in the increased use of incarceration in the State correctional system. A second change to the State's sentencing and incarceration policy occurred in 1994 when Oregon voters passed a measure that dramatically increased the length of sentences for violent and sexual offenses. This vote was followed by the passage of the Repeat Property Offender Statute in 1997 that overrode the administrative rules of the sentencing guidelines. This article analyzes the changes that have occurred in the Oregon correctional system as a result of these statutes. The changes to Oregon's incarceration rate resulting from the new statues are examined, followed by a look at the associated increase in costs and the effect of the increased incarceration rates on crime rates in the State. Finally, the article examines the effects of incarceration on crime and provides results from studies that show that incarceration significantly affects crime rates. 4 figures, 1 table, and 12 endnotes