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| Oregon Looks to Expand 'Earned-Time' Prison Program |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 06/05/2003 |
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As a cocaine pusher on the streets of northeast Portland, William Robinson pulled in $1,200 per day. Life was fast and easy - until he got caught and was sentenced to 19 months. Robinson, who had dreamed of owning his own business, said prison made him reflect on his fall and look for a way to get up. He said he found it in a prison program called 'earned time,' which increases the amount of time inmates can have reduced from their sentences - currently up to 20 percent - if they complete a series of educational programs that are designed to help them turn their lives around. Robinson went through the programs and behaved in prison, so his sentence was reduced to 15 months. That was four years ago. He now works for $10.50 per hour as a book warehouse supervisor. The 37-year-old credits the earned-time for helping him leave a life of crime. As lawmakers scramble to find money to fund state services, many are pointing to success stories such as Robinson's as reason to increase the maximum sentence reduction possible under earned-time to 30 percent - and save the state a bundle. But many crime victims are vowing to fight proposals that would shrink prison time for model inmates, arguing that shortening sentences erodes justice. 'If you give more good time, it creates more disrespect for the law,' said Steve Doell, president of Crime Victims United. 'The system turns into a joke.' Doell, whose daughter was run over and killed by a teenager who later spent little time in prison, said expanding the programs would create a dangerous precedent. Legislators also are considering expanding a second program - called provisional release - that makes it possible for some inmates to leave prison 30 days early to help them adjust to society. They are supervised by corrections officers and can be pulled back into prison if they break the rules. In the budget proposed by the co-chairs of the Legislature's budget-writing committee, that time would be increased to 90 days. The two proposed changes, would save the state about $12 million over two years. Money-saving ideas include limiting jail time for repeat drug possession to five days and scaling back drug investigation teams and probation programs. Still, political obstacles to the changes are great. In Gov. Ted Kulongoski's proposed budget for the next two years, there is no mention of expanding earned-time or provisional leave, a sign that the governor wants to keep with campaign pledges to be tough on crime. More than 50 percent of Oregon's nearly 12,000 prisoners are eligible for earned time. Criminals sentenced under Measure 11 guidelines, which require mandatory minimum sentences for a host of violent crimes, are not eligible and wouldn't be under the pending legislative proposals. To qualify for early release under earned time, prisoners go through a series of programs that can include anger management, drug or alcohol treatment and job training. They also have to behave themselves in prison. A recent study by the Oregon Department of Corrections found that the more earned time felony prisoners acquired, with 20 percent being the maximum, the less likely they would return to a life of crime after their release. |
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