MAY 2008: FORUM; READERS' LETTERS
Value of state’s prisons deserves broader view
I AM WRITING to express my deep disappointment in the content
of your April cover story [The
Prisontown Myth]. I think your article was one-sided,
biased and incomplete. For some reason you only used the
Director of Corrections as your named source. There is a
broader point of view.
For instance, did you mention the dramatic drop in violent
crime since Measure 11 was passed by the voters in 1995 (almost
50%) and the thousands fewer victims that resulted? Did
you mention the sad state of our current sentencing for repeat
property criminals who are not even eligible for prison until
their fifth felony conviction? Did you mention that,
despite our increased prison capacity in Oregon, only 16% of
convicted felons go to prison?
Whether or not prisons have brought economic assistance and
support to rural communities is a legitimate subject. I wish
you had stuck to that topic and not offered up one-sided
opinions about sentencing policy in Oregon.
John Foote
Clackamas County district
attorney
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