Host Karen James speaks with Zach Winston, policy director with Oregon Justice Resource Center about their 2023 Oregon legislative agenda which includes the Right to Vote for Incarcerated Oregonians, Compassionate Medical Release and Justice for Survivor-Defendants and others.
SB 579 will ensure every incarcerated Oregonian who is a U.S. citizen can register to vote, update their voter registration, and vote in elections based on where they resided prior to their incarceration. https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Overview/SB579
SB 520 will create an independent medical review committee to make recommendations to the Board of Parole solely and objectively from a medical and public health perspective. If the committee recommends release, sentencing courts and the Board can either affirm or deny release. https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Overview/SB520
LC 3918 Justice for Survivor-Defendants This bill will require courts to consider evidence of domestic violence when sentencing. The court will have discretion to impose a lesser sentence on a survivor-defendant when the presumptive or mandatory sentence would be too harsh under the circumstances. The bill would also create a taskforce to make recommendations regarding programs and services needed to make sure that survivors leave prison healthy and safely and prevent further re-traumatization of incarcerated survivors of domestic violence in prison.
HB 2327 would establish a minimum age of prosecution of 12 and bring Oregon in line with 24 other states that have established a minimum age at which youth can be prosecuted. We must protect our children against the harms of juvenile justice involvement, and to allow them to access supportive services and resources.
LC 964 Expedited judicial review for conditions of confinement cases When a person in the custody of the Oregon Department of Corrections is subject to excessive or inappropriate punishment that may violate their constitutional rights, there is no opportunity to contest that action in a meaningful way. Adults in custody cannot petition state courts to review disciplinary orders imposed by ODOC and other review options are inadequate. This bill will allow individuals to access state courts for an expedited process of judicial review.
- KBOO