skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Prison Sentencing Reform Among Winners of OR Legislative Session

play audio
Play

Wednesday, July 12, 2017   

SALEM, Ore. - The Oregon legislative session ended this week, and according to advocates for people in prison, sentencing reform was a big winner.

House Bill 3078, known as the "Safety and Savings Act" and passed last week, would divert women convicted of certain property crimes - often driven by drug addiction - to intensive supervision programs and addiction and mental-health treatment instead of prison.

Rep. Carla Piluso, D-Gresham, co-sponsored HB 3078. She and her colleagues want the state to get away from relying so much on punitive measures.

"We know, especially with our women, the causes of some of their challenges is related to drug and alcohol use," said Piluso, a former police chief in Gresham. "So, if we can work toward preventing rather than incarcerating, which really we find is not the best path for anybody to take."

Last week, lawmakers also passed House Bill 2355, which decriminalizes possession of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and ecstasy - as long as the person doesn't have any prior felonies or more than two felony drug convictions. They instead will be charged with a misdemeanor.

Both bills are on Gov. Kate Brown's desk.

Advocates for prison justice reform have touted both HB 3078 and HB 2355 as wins for racial justice. Piluso said these bills will help mothers stay with their children. She commends incarcerated women for their role in this reform process.

"There's a really collaborative sense, from my perspective, that this is an effort for all women to participate in, and again those who are currently incarcerated are really leading a good, strong charge to make change," she added.

HB 3078 also was created to reduce Oregon's need to build a second women's prison. Piluso said that saves the state nearly $20 million.

Details of HB 3078 are online here and details of HB 2355 are here.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant can now access funding to drive financing for thousands of climate-focused and clean energy initiatives. (bilanol/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion …


Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Health Literacy Month, and a Denver-based group is working to help health professionals break a persistent pattern of discrimination …

Environment

play sound

A new report contends fossil fuel funding has biased Columbia University's climate research. The report, by two Columbia students, shows the …


Alabama releases roughly 220,279 men and 78,247 women from its prisons and jails each year. (Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In North Carolina, the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of dental care has reached a crisis point, impacting both …

So far in 2024, community health centers in North Dakota have screened 11,580 patients for food insecurity. Through those screenings, more than three thousand box meals have been distributed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

September is Hunger Action Month. In North Dakota, it isn't just food banks trying to help underserved populations get nutritious items. Health …

Environment

play sound

Marine biologists conducting deep dives near five California islands are collecting data they hope will strengthen the case for ending gillnet fishing…

Environment

play sound

Researchers at Iowa State University are taking aim at the huge amount of energy used by data centers, now and in the future. They have developed a …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021