Multnomah County's Effective Sanctioning Practices

The Vera Institute of Justice briefs the Multnomah County Board about
Criminal Justice Research and Trends. 10-13-09

Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler discusses the Community Corrections Plan
(ADA text only version available upon request)

Someone working on Community Service

Research has shown that changing offenders’ behavior requires a balance of supervision, services and sanctions. A Vera Institute of Justice study done on Multnomah County sanctioning practices found that a continuum of sanctions, including swift and certain jail sanctions, day reporting centers, community services and other program-based sanctions are more effective at changing offender behavior than a jail sanction alone.

Starting last May, DCJ’s Post-Prison and Parole Officers (PPOs) have improved how they sanction parole and probation violators. Along with providing swifter and more certain sanctions, including jail sanctions, DCJ removed barriers to alternative sanctions, and expanded their use. In the past year, PPOs have been placing more offenders on Electronic Monitoring, sending more offenders to Day Reporting, and are supervising more offenders through Community Service projects.

Director Scott Taylor presents the VERA Institute of Justice's report on "Assessing the Effectiveness of Intermediate Sanctions in Multnomah County, Oregon"

• Read the VERA Report
• View the PowerPoint Presentation
• Assessing the Effectiveness of Intermediate Sanctions in Multnomah County, Oregon, Andres F. Rengifo Christine S. Scott-Hayward, Vera Institute of Justice June, (July 2008)
• PowerPoint Presentation, Vera Institute of Justice, Multnomah County Board of Directors, (July 2008)
• PowerPoint Presentation, Scott Taylor, Multnomah County Board of Commissioners on Effective Sanctioning Practices (March 12, 2009)
• Pew Charitable Trust Public Safety Performance Project
  
• Justice Reinvestment: A Project of the Council of State Governments Justice Center