Oregon voters approved Ballot Measure 11 in November 1994 to apply mandatory minimum prison sentences to certain crimes against persons, including murder, rape, and robbery, with no possibility for any reduction in sentence. Roger Martin believes that Measure 11 has contributed to unfair treatment and to an explosion in the Oregon prison population.
According to Wikipedia, Proponents of Measure 11 argued that judges had been too lenient in sentencing violent offenders. Opponents of Measure 11 argued that judges should be allowed discretion in sentencing and should be able to account for the particular circumstances of a given crime. They also objected to some children being tried as adults.
The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. The Oregon prison population has grown from 3,500 in 1985 to a staggering 15,000 in 2017. Approximately $1.8 billion is spent on adult prisons with an additional $.4 billion budget for youth prisons. This is more than Oregon spends on education.
Mr. Martin argues that the Oregon Department of Corrections would be more accurately called the “Department of Punishment.” As a result of Measure 11, there is no judicial review and little incentive for inmates to improve their behavior in hopes of an early release from prison. Nonetheless, he has seen numerous instances of inmates turning their lives around. He cited the Governor’s recent commutation of Brandon Dixon’s sentence for a robbery spree he committed at the age of 17. Mr. Dixon, who attended the Rotary meeting with Mr. Martin, spoke about the “Lifer’s Club” and numerous inmates who have turned their lives around, graduated from college, and given back to the community while in prison. (See the full article at http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/08/kate_brown_grants_clemency_to.html.)
Roger Martin is a lobbyist, former Oregon State Representative for Lake Oswego, and 1978 gubernatorial candidate. He is a graduate of University of Oregon.