County Jails Cut Inmate Populations Nearly in Half in a Just a Few Weeks
A Look Inside 29 County Jails
Why were these people locked up in the first place?
With the threat of COVID-19 looming, county jails across the state have slashed the number of inmates in their custody by almost 50 percent. The dramatic reductions occurred in both rural and urban counties.
These reductions will go a long way toward helping keep jail inmates and the staff who work there safe from COVID-19. Embracing policies that filter more people out of jail also holds the promise of changing thousands of lives in Oregon long after the COVID-19 crisis ends.
You can read our report: Oregon Jails during COVID-19: A Look Inside 29 County Jails
Media spotlight on our report:
Marion, Polk county jails slash inmate populations by 30 to 75% in response to COVID-19 (Statesman Journal)
Our survey also found the basic needs of people in jail abound during this crisis.
A Framework for Change
This major drop in incarceration at our jails is a ray of sunshine during this storm.
But it raises the question—why were these people locked up in the first place if they didn’t pose a threat to public safety?
Incarceration causes incalculable harm to the thousands of individuals, many with mental illness, who are placed behind bars at a steep economic cost to our state.
When Oregon re-opens, jails should continue to filter out people charged with low-level offenses who don’t pose a public safety risk.
We need to end the over-reliance on pretrial incarceration of low-level, nonviolent offenders in Oregon.
Policy Recommendations
New legislation that gives sheriffs or jail commanders greater discretion to release people with minor pending charges, especially if they have health conditions that are difficult to care for in jail
Courts reassess their recognizance release criteria to prevent penalizing people who are homeless, unemployed, or have unmet behavioral healthcare needs
District Attorneys decline to proceed on low-level cases, especially where there is a nexus to disability
Law enforcement continue to operate with the expectation that jail is only an option if a risk to public safety is present
These steps led to a statewide 50 percent reduction in jail population that appeared impossible prior to the pandemic.
If our communities could make these changes so quickly in response to the pandemic, we can make lasting changes for the long-term health and prosperity of our communities. These extraordinary times present us with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to reject unnecessary incarceration.