State of Oregon secondary Archives: on Crime

Gordon Harold Smith: Stiffer laws against gang crimes, rapists & child sex

Merkley responded, "Shame on you, Gordon Smith, for portraying that series of lies." He said Smith took things he said or did out of context, and he affirmed that he has worked hard in the state Legislature to get better laws on the books to deal with criminals.

Jeff Merkley: Worked hard to get better laws to deal with criminals

Merkley responded, "Shame on you, Gordon Smith, for portraying that series of lies." He said Smith took things he said or did out of context, and he affirmed that he has worked hard in the state Legislature to get better laws on the books to deal with criminals.

John Kitzhaber: Spend $600M on education now instead of on prisons later

It cost $10,000 a year to keep a child in school but $30,000 a year to keep someone in prison. Our prison forecast predicts the need to build 2,300 new beds over the next decade at a cost of $600 million--and that most of those beds will be occupied by non-violent offenders. And the fact is that this $600 million--if spent on public education--would keep hundreds of people out of the criminal justice system in the first place.

The politics around public safety reform are often difficult--the fear of being labeled "soft on crime." But if we are unwilling act on this issue we will, by default, be choosing prisons over schools and condemning untold numbers of today's students to a future in our system of corrections.