Oregon
Oregon bill would let more people qualify to end post-prison supervision early – Oregon Capital Chronicle
Billy Anfield spent years feeling like somebody was strolling behind him in all places he went, watching and ready for the possibility to place him behind bars.
Anfield, 74, is now the advocacy coordinator for Central Metropolis Concern’s Flip the Script program, serving to Black folks launched from jail discover housing, well being care, employment and assist they want as they reintegrate into their communities. He has labored on the Portland nonprofit for greater than 30 years.
As a younger man, he experimented and have become hooked on medication and made different poor choices, spending about 20 years out and in of the felony justice system. Habit therapy within the Eighties helped Anfield flip issues round, however he struggled with remaining on court-ordered supervision, his life beneath a microscope.
He couldn’t drink alcohol or affiliate with anybody else who had been convicted. He needed to stay and work in a sure space, and at one level he had a curfew. His supervising officer got here to his job to confirm his employment a pair occasions, embarrassing him in entrance of coworkers who began avoiding him after these visits.
“It feels as if you’re nonetheless incarcerated,” Anfield mentioned. “You simply don’t have the bars. They’re invisible.”
Anfield’s supervision lasted for years after he had rebuilt relationships together with his household, discovered a gentle job and felt grounded in his restoration. By his work, Anfield has interacted with different folks in the identical state of affairs, who’ve rebuilt their lives after coming back from incarceration however stay tied to the felony justice system due to post-prison supervision.
A invoice handed by the Oregon Legislature this week might give hundreds of Oregonians alternatives to shorten their post-prison supervision. If signed by Gov. Tina Kotek, Senate Invoice 581 would increase the statewide earned discharge program, which now lets folks on probation, individuals who served sentences in native jails and folks whose jail sentences started on or after Jan. 1, 2022, scale back their supervision by as much as half in the event that they meet targets.
The measure would permit practically 5,000 individuals who had been sentenced earlier than Jan. 1, 2022, to qualify for earned discharge. It wouldn’t have an effect on jail sentences, simply the supervision interval after an individual finishes their sentence.
“It’s actually a chance for the correction system to offer a carrot as an alternative of only a stick for accountability,” mentioned Shannon Wight, deputy director of the Portland-based Partnership for Security and Justice.
To qualify for earned discharge, folks must have paid any restitution or fines or have a cost plan in place, accomplished therapy applications and have adopted guidelines of their supervision program. Anybody who commits one other crime whereas on supervision isn’t eligible.
Rep. Jason Kropf, a Bend Democrat who beforehand labored as a public defender and prosecutor, mentioned throughout debate on the Home flooring on Wednesday that the felony justice system ought to encourage individuals who have dedicated crimes to do higher.
“When now we have a subset of people who find themselves on supervision who take these corrective actions, who take themselves from a spot the place they discovered themselves within the felony justice system and have moved away from committing crimes and moved away from dependancy and moved away from inflicting future hurt, now we have to acknowledge that,” Kropf mentioned. “We now have to assist that.”
Legislative motion
The measure handed the Senate on a 23-6 vote on March 1 with a handful of Republicans and one unbiased senator becoming a member of Democrats in supporting it. It squeaked out of the Home on a 31-28 vote Wednesday, as 4 Democrats representing swing districts joined each Republican in voting towards the measure.
Rep. Lily Morgan, R-Grants Move and a former parole and probation officer, mentioned she would have supported the measure if it hadn’t allowed folks convicted of second-degree theft and assault to qualify for earned discharge. These are among the many crimes coated by Measure 11, a 1994 voter-approved regulation that set obligatory minimal sentences for critical offenses.
“I’m anyone that believes that you simply reward and also you incentivize, however we’re persevering with to erode the accountability and extra importantly the helps which are in place for supervision,” Morgan mentioned.
Since 2013, Oregon has supplied the chance for folks on probation or who had served sentences in native jails to scale back the time they had been anticipated to spend on supervision. A 2021 regulation expanded that chance to individuals who served time in state prisons, however solely those that had been sentenced on or after Jan. 1, 2022.
Few folks have taken benefit of the 2021 enlargement, however greater than 9,200 folks have earned an early discharge from supervision since 2013, in line with legislative researchers. About 8,800 of these folks haven’t had any additional interactions with the felony justice system.
“This program has proven that we’re figuring out the precise people who’ve maximized all the advantages of supervision, have proven a willingness to vary their conduct and reside a special life and we’re seeing constructive outcomes for that,” mentioned Jeremiah Stromberg, assistant director of the Division of Corrections’ Group Corrections Division.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Oregon
Powerball ticket worth $328.5 million sold in Oregon
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The first Powerball jackpot of 2025 was sold in Oregon and is worth $328.5 million, according to lottery officials.
The winner purchased the winning ticket in Beaverton on Thursday, Jan. 17, the Oregon Lottery said. The retail location will not be revealed until a winner has come forward.
The winning numbers for the Saturday drawing were: 14, 31, 35, 64 and 69 and Powerball 23.
The winner has a year to claim their prize, Oregon Lottery spokesperson Melanie Mesaros said. After the winning ticket is presented, “it will take time before a winner can be identified due to security and payment processes.”
Oregon lottery winners, with few exceptions, cannot remain anonymous, Mesaros said.
The winner will have a choice between an annuitized prize of $328.5 million or a lump-sum payment of $146.4 million, according to lottery officials, which are both options before taxes.
Last year, the largest Powerball prize won in Oregon — a $1.3 billion jackpot — was split between a Portland man, his wife, and friend.
Before Saturday, the most recent Powerball jackpot was sold in December in New York and was worth $256 million.
Powerball is a multi-state jackpot operated by 44 states, plus the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Fernando Cervantes Jr., a news reporter for USA TODAY, contributed to this story.
Cherrill Crosby is the executive editor of the Statesman Journal and The Register-Guard. Reach her at crosbyc@gannett.com
Oregon
Oregon’s Dan Lanning visits 5-star recruit Cantwell, top TE Premer during Midwest run
Oregon head football coach Dan Lanning has been a busy man.
But when you’re the man tasked with running one of the top college football programs in the country, burning jet fuel to shake hands and take photos is a big part of the gig. And Lanning was doing plenty of that last week.
A native of Kansas City, Mo., Lanning returned home last week on a two-day tear recruiting some of the top 2026 prospects in the country.
Lanning’s known stops included Lee’s Summit on Jan. 16, where the Tigers have 2027 interior line prospect Zach Harsha (6-5, 260) and 2028 tight end Max Trillo (6-4, 225).
He was even busier the following day. He had stops at Raymore-Peculiar, where he visited with and offered four-star uncommitted running back DeZephen Walker (6-0, 205) who is believed to be heavily considering Kansas and Nebraska.
He also headed to Illinois, where he swung by Lincoln-Way East to visit with quarterback Jonas Williams, who agreed with the Ducks on Aug. 3, 2024,
A trip to the Springfield, Mo. area was also on the docket, as Lanning traveled to Nixa High School to again meet with the country’s No. 1 2026 offensive lineman, Jackson Cantwell, on Jan. 16. The 6-8, 315 offensive tackle has offers from just about everyone in the country, though he has spoken highly of Lanning and his relationship with the Ducks coach – making Oregon one of the favorites for his services.
Cantwell was honored by the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 18 during their AFC Divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans after he was selected to represent the Chiefs at the ‘Nike Ones’ showcase during Super Bowl weekend in New Orleans.
Lanning concluded his trip with a little basketball in Hutchinson, Kan., where he watched Great Bend tight end Ian Premer (6-6, 215) – the top tight end in the 2026 class – take on Hutchinson. Premer, a three-sport star in football, basketball and baseball, impressed with 22 points in the game.
The Midwest swing adds to a busy month for Lanning, who also has been spotted with Utah No. 1 athlete Salasi Moa and recently secured a visit with top 2026 quarterback and Nashville native Jared Curtis.
Oregon
People with disabilities are extra vulnerable in major disasters like wildfires, says Oregon advocate
Jake Cornett, Executive Director and CEO of the advocacy group Disability Rights Oregon, says he will forever be haunted by Ashlyn Maddox’s death during the 2021 Oregon heat wave.
The Portland woman, 36, was disabled and living in a group foster home. She was dropped off by a medical transport company, but the company didn’t make sure she made it safely into her air-conditioned home. She ended up wandering around for hours in the heat, and died only 50 feet from safety.
Cornett says, “These deaths are preventable with the right planning, the right strategy for mitigation, the right preparedness and a response plan that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and respects the needs of people with disabilities.”
Cornett spoke with “All Things Considered” host Geoff Norcross about Oregon’s ability to help people with disabilities during a natural disaster, such as the deadly wildfires burning in the Los Angeles area.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
Geoff Norcross: If we were to transport those fires in Southern California here, would we see a similar catastrophe for people with disabilities?
Jake Cornett: Surely, we fear that the same disasters we’ve seen play out in the catastrophes in the lives of people with disabilities in LA would play out right here in Oregon as well. And I don’t think this is just a theoretical question. It’s only a matter of time before we have major wildfires along Highway 20, very close by in Portland and in other major cities throughout our state.
Norcross: What is the obligation of local governments to provide for people with disabilities when disaster strikes? I guess I’m asking if the Americans with Disabilities Act applies here.
Cornett: Absolutely. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that cities, counties, the state and the federal government are taking into account what the needs are of people with disabilities, and providing accommodations for those needs when engaging in disaster planning.
Norcross: Getting information out to people quickly in a disaster is so critical, especially for something that’s as fast-moving as the LA wildfires. For people who are deaf or blind, can you talk about how that’s extra complicated?
Cornett: Absolutely. You know, emergency response notification systems that happen on your phone are a great tool if you have a phone, or if you have the technology to make your phone provide you the information you need. And that’s particularly important for folks who are blind.
I think about a blind person who may not have the same visual access to information as others. If police run around your neighborhood and put a notice on your door that says “get out of town, there’s an evacuation order, you’re under wildfire threat,” that notice on your door might not be enough because you can’t access that information.
And this is where cities, counties and the state really have an obligation to adjust to how they communicate so that it’s effective for all people with disabilities.
Norcross: And again, when you say obligation, you mean a legal obligation, not just because it’s the right thing to do.
Cornett: Absolutely. There’s a legal obligation to do that under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Norcross: Even if an evacuation order gets to affected people quickly, there’s this expectation that most people will get in their car and they will leave. How does that expectation leave people with disabilities in even greater danger?
Cornett: Yeah, that’s another huge issue for people with disabilities, especially when it happens quickly like the LA fires. People think evacuating is getting in the car, driving quickly away to safety.
But many people with disabilities don’t have access to a car, or they can’t physically drive a vehicle. They’re totally reliant on others to transport them to safety. So just providing that notice is not an adequate way to ensure that we are saving the lives of people with disabilities in the way it needs to be done.
Norcross: Is there an event here in Oregon that you can point to that shows us how situated we are to help people with disabilities when disaster strikes, good or bad?
Cornett: Here in Oregon, we’ve seen hundreds die or have serious injuries because of heat in the past few years. Climate change is real. We live in a warming environment, and it’s having a really disproportionate impact on seniors, on people with disabilities and people with underlying medical conditions.
And I’ll forever be haunted by a story of a 30-something year old woman who was dropped off by a medical transport company, but didn’t wait in their air-conditioned van to make sure that she got inside her home where there was air conditioning. Instead, they took off. She wandered around for hours before dying of heat, just 50 feet from her adult foster home.
These deaths are preventable with the right planning, the right strategy for mitigation, the right preparedness, and a response plan that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and respects the needs of people with disabilities.
-
Science1 week ago
Metro will offer free rides in L.A. through Sunday due to fires
-
Technology1 week ago
Amazon Prime will shut down its clothing try-on program
-
Technology1 week ago
L’Oréal’s new skincare gadget told me I should try retinol
-
Technology4 days ago
Super Bowl LIX will stream for free on Tubi
-
Business6 days ago
Why TikTok Users Are Downloading ‘Red Note,’ the Chinese App
-
Technology2 days ago
Nintendo omits original Donkey Kong Country Returns team from the remaster’s credits
-
Politics1 week ago
Trump to be sentenced in New York criminal trial
-
Culture2 days ago
American men can’t win Olympic cross-country skiing medals — or can they?