An Additive Model of Engagement: Considering The Role of Front-End Criminal Justice Agencies in Treatment Provisions [Interim Report: Year Two]

This report provides the initial findings of Year 2 of a multi year project to understand the effects of successive drug policy efforts in Oregon, with special focus given to Ballot Measure 110 (M110). This report uses criminal justice metrics (e.g., arrests and drug court participation) and treatment resource information (e.g., number of individuals served through M110 monies) to better understand how individuals are connecting with services in Oregon, and the role that the criminal justice system can play as one component of a larger network. Related Reports: Key Points in Preparation for Oregon Legislative Session (2024): Examining the Multifaceted Impacts of Drug Decriminalization on Public Safety, Law Enforcement, and Prosecutorial Discretion (December 2023) Impacts of Successive Drug Legislation Shifts: Qualitative Observations from Oregon Law Enforcement [Interim Report: Year On

Key Points in Preparation for Oregon Legislative Session (2024): Examining the Multifaceted Impacts of Drug Decriminalization on Public Safety, Law Enforcement, and Prosecutorial Discretion

These findings are part of a 3-year study to examine the impacts of possession of PCS law changes on: (1) law enforcement discretion, (2) prosecutorial decision-making, (3) courts/sentencing, and (4) public safety. The key findings, unless noted, represent statewide trends and impacts. Prior to M110, other statewide changes in policy, law, and historical events such as the COVID-19 lockdown/court backlog and public defense crisis also had important impacts on enforcement, prosecution/sentencing, and public safety outcomes. As such, data collected during the early implementation of M110 is not likely a reliable predictor of its ultimate impact. The data reported on below is through 1 – 2 years post-M110. Although it sheds light on important questions, it is too early to draw any definitive conclusions about long-term impacts of M110. Link to Year One Report: https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/4011

Public Perceptions Regarding the Use of Force by Police in Portland, Oregon

The current study sought to assess public perceptions regarding the frequency of force used by Portland police and determine whether these beliefs are consistent with officially recorded data on force used by officers in recent years

Impacts of Successive Drug Legislation Shifts: Qualitative Observations from Oregon Law Enforcement [Interim Report: Year One]

This report provides the initial findings of Year 1 of a multi year project to understand the effects of successive drug policy efforts in Oregon, with special focus given to Ballot Measure 110 (M110)

Do Oregonians Know About the Crime Drop?

The violent crime rate in Oregon has not been this low since 1969, forty years ago. FBI 2009 Uniform Crime Statistics show Oregon’s crime rate continues to drop as does the nation’s. Crime rates are at the lowest levels since the 1960’s. Violent crime in Oregon dropped 2.1% from 2008 to 2009. In 2009, Oregon ranked 38th in the nation for violent crime rate

Crime in the News: How do People Feel About Crime Reporting in Portland, Oregon?

This research brief summarizes the results of a recent survey with residents in Portland, Oregon assessing public opinions on the local news media’s coverage of various crime topics

Policing In An Era of Sousveillance: A Randomised Controlled Trial Examining the Influence of Video Footage on Perceptions of Legitimacy

Controversial incidents of police-citizen interactions, coupled with advancements in internet media technology has created a new dynamic of how public perceptions of the police might be influenced. This paper reports results of an experiment examining how videos of police-citizen interactions found on social media platforms might influence civilian perceptions of legitimacy and procedural justice. Using 173 randomly assigned participants and a pre/post-test design, we compare perceptual effects of positive, negative, and neutral depictions of police-citizen interactions. Results indicate all media had an effect on perceptions of legitimacy, with negative content yielding the largest effects, significantly diminishing global perceptions of legitimacy, whereas positive content significantly improved perceptions of legitimacy. Our findings suggest that while public videos of police-citizen interactions found online can contribute substantially to increasing distrust in the police, they may also demonstrate how policing agencies might use similar platforms to improve public perceptions of their legitimacy

Effect of Prison Length of Stay in Oregon

Oregon’s Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI), “is an approach to spending resources more effectively with the goals of reducing recidivism, decreasing prison use, protecting the public and holding offenders accountable (Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, 2019).” To maximize the effectiveness of Justice Reinvestment programs, policy makers need to understand the relationship between imprisonment, particularly length of stay (LOS), and recidivism. Subsequently, the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission (CJC) sought to conduct a LOS study in Oregon similar to a study completed by Snodgrass et al (2011). The goal of Portland State University’s (PSU) analysis is to provide useful information for Oregon’s JRI effort on the effectiveness and efficiency of incarceration. Specifically, PSU was charged with assessing the impact of length of prison stay on Oregon’s three official measures of recidivism - rearrest, reconviction, and reincarceration