Voters' Guide Cover Letter to the Voters General Information Voter Registration Information
Measure 57: The Better Way To Fight Crime
Law enforcement across Oregon has asked for more tools to crack down on drug traffickers, identity thieves, and criminals who prey on the elderly. Measure 57 provides those tools without resorting to one-size-fits-all sentencing gimmicks.
Sentences Criminals Deserve
Measure 57 increases sentences for criminals who threaten kids, the elderly, and our communities:
| 34-130 months | |
| 34-72 months | |
| 16-45 months | |
| 18 or 24 months | |
| 24 months | |
These increased sentences ensure that criminals get the sentences they deserve.
Mandatory Drug and Alcohol Treatment to Stop the Revolving Door
It makes sense to have tougher sentences, but it also makes sense to stop drug-addicted repeat offenders and revolving-door justice.
That's why Measure 57 dramatically increases drug and alcohol treatment for offenders and provides penalties for offenders who refuse treatment.
Taxpayer Savings
Measure 57 will make Oregon communities safer while saving taxpayers money compared to the rigid, one-size-fits-all approach of Measure 61. In fact, Measure 57 is estimated to cost up to $150 million less every year when fully implemented.
It also saves up to $1 billion in the cost of building new prisons and up to $640 million in interest.
Broad Support
Measure 57 is the only crime measure on the ballot that has the broad support of law enforcement across Oregon. District Attorneys, Sheriffs, Police Officers, Corrections Officers, Parole Officers, and Treatment Providers from every corner of Oregon are urging a yes vote on Measure 57 for one simple reason: it's the Better Way To Fight Crime in Oregon.
| Committee Members: | Appointed by: |
| Senator Floyd Prozanski | President of the Senate |
| Representative Andy Olson | Speaker of the House |
| Representative Greg Macpherson | Speaker of the House |
(This Joint Legislative Committee was appointed to provide the legislative argument in support of the ballot measure pursuant to ORS 251.245.)
STOP!
Before you vote on Measure 57, understand this:
Please read the material on Measure 61
before you vote on Measure 57.
Amber L. Koch
(This information furnished by Amber L. Koch.)
THE REAL REASON MEASURE 57
WAS PUT ON THE BALLOT
Voters should know the real reason the key supporters of the legislature's Measure 57 put this on the ballot.
They weren't trying to give justice to crime victims.
They weren't trying to drive down the crime rate.
They weren't trying to protect society from crime.
Instead, their goal was to come up with a weak alternative to citizen Measure 61, also on this ballot, and to get enough votes to cancel citizen Measure 61.
Their polling told them Oregon voters would strongly support citizen Measure 61, and could not be convinced to directly defeat citizen Measure 61.
Measure 61 has mandatory minimum prison sentences for drug dealers, identity thieves, burglars, and auto thieves. People who oppose this wrote the legislature's weak Measure 57, which has mandatory prison sentences and gave Measure 57 a tough-sounding ballot title (bypassing the usual procedure). They put in a clause that says that the legislature's Measure 57 cancels citizen Measure 61.
The idea was to fool the voters into indirectly killing citizen Measure 61.
How do I know all this? The people who put the legislature's Measure 57 together made the mistake of sending their strategy memos to some government officials. I made a public records request and found these documents.
The key documents can be found at the Oregon Anti-Crime Alliance's web site: www.oaaoregon.com.
Now you know the real reason for Measure 57.
Steve Doell
(This information furnished by Steve Doell.)
As street cops, our job is to keep your streets
and neighborhoods safe.
Measure 57 will make them safer.
As police officers, we are on the frontlines of the fight against crime, patrolling the streets everyday to keep our communities safe. We support Measure 57 because it is the best way to fight crime. Instead of a rigid, one-size-fits-all approach, Measure 57 gives us the flexible tools we need to be tough on the drug dealers who prey on our kids and the thieves who prey on the elderly.
Every time we have to arrest a repeat offender for the same crime, the system has failed you. Measure 57 is the only measure on the ballot that will help stop the revolving door justice that allows too few offenders to commit too many crimes.
Getting tough with drug-using offenders
85% of incarcerated property criminals have drug or alcohol problems that fuel their criminal behavior.
Help us stop identity theft
If you are the victim of identity theft, we want to make sure the offender is caught, sentenced, and doesn't strike again in someone else's neighborhood.
What's more, Measure 57 eliminates probation for repeat drug traffickers and makes sure pushers who prey on our kids get the tough sentences they deserve.
We need all the help we can get out there.
Please join us in voting Yes on Measure 57.
OREGON COUNCIL OF POLICE ASSOCIATIONS SAYS "YES"
(This information furnished by Matt Blevins, The Better Way To Fight Crime Committee.)
A Message From Oregon's Chiefs of Police
Vote Yes on Measure 57
It's the right way to be tough on crime
As Oregon Police Chiefs, we are part of the fight against crime at two levels:
We support Measure 57 because it will make you safer and make our public safety system tougher and more effective. It is the only measure on the ballot that provides law enforcement the tools we need to punish criminals and prevent crime before it happens.
Tougher on Criminals – Measure 57 provides for tougher sentences on those convicted of property crimes, drug trafficking, identity theft and crimes against the elderly.
Stopping the Revolving Door at the Jailhouse – We are all for putting criminals away in prison – that's our job and we are proud to do it. But we are also tired of arresting the same people over and over again. Measure 57 is the only measure on the ballot that will help stop the revolving door by addressing the single most important cause of property crime – drug addiction. Under Measure 57, drug abusing criminals will get treatment, or will get more time in prison to get the message.
A Public Safety System that Works for You – Measure 57 offers more than a one-size-fits-all "solution" to crime. This gives us the tools to do our job, and also allows us to invest public safety dollars in a way that gets the most impact for you.
Make Oregon Safer
Vote YES on 57
OREGON POLICE CHIEFS FOR SAFER COMMUNITIES
(This information furnished by Matt Blevins, The Better Way To Fight Crime Committee.)
SHERIFFS ACROSS OREGON ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON MEASURE 57
"GIVE US THE TOOLS WE NEED TO KEEP YOU SAFE"
Oregon is home to communities as individual as Pendleton, Lincoln City, Portland, and McMinnville, each with unique public safety challenges. And while we all agree that we need more tools to combat drug dealers, fight identity theft, and stop repeat offenders, we also need the flexibility to respond to the needs of our community – not a one size-fits-all approach to fighting crime.
That's why we're supporting Measure 57.
INCREASED SENTENCES
Measure 57 increases sentences for criminals who threaten kids, the elderly, and our communities:
| 34-130 months | |
| 34-72 months | |
| 16-45 months | |
| 18 or 24 months | |
| 24 months | |
These increased sentences will ensure that criminals get the sentences they deserve.
MANDATORY DRUG TREATMENT
But increased sentences aren't enough. For the majority of these criminals, alcohol and drug addiction fuels a life of crime. That's why Measure 57 also requires drug treatment and establishes new penalties for offenders who refuse treatment.
More tools. Safer communities.
Measure 57 is the better way to fight crime.
Join us in voting Yes on Measure 57.
Sheriff Diana Simpson – Benton County
Sheriff Craig Roberts – Clackamas County
Sheriff Dennis Dotson – Lincoln County
Sheriff Bob Skipper – Multnomah County
Sheriff Todd Anderson – Tillamook County
Sheriff John Trumbo – Umatilla County
Sheriff Jack Crabtree – Yamhill County
(This information furnished by Matt Blevins, The Better Way To Fight Crime Committee.)
TOUGHER SENTENCES.
REQUIRED ADDICTION TREATMENT.
A SAFER OREGON.
Measure 57 is the better way to fight crime.
There's only one measure on the ballot that holds offenders accountable for their crimes, stops the revolving door that puts criminals back on the street, AND includes drug treatment to break the cycle of crime.
VOTE YES ON MEASURE 57.
We're deeply committed to increasing public safety.
Measure 57 gives prosecutors important tools to
keep criminals accountable.
TOUGHER SENTENCES.
Every day officers arrest offenders that push drugs on Oregon's kids. These dealers end up in our courtrooms over and over again.
REQUIRED ADDICTION TREATMENT.
85% of Oregon's incarcerated property crime offenders are addicted to drugs or alcohol.
A SAFER OREGON.
When thieves steal your identity or prey on the elderly, we need the tools to hold them accountable.
YES ON MEASURE 57.
| Matt Shirtcliff, Baker | David Schutt, Lake |
| John S. Foote, Clackamas | Bernice Barnett, Lincoln |
| Joshua Marquis, Clatsop | Jason Carlile, Linn |
| Steve Atchison, Columbia | Elizabeth Ballard, Morrow |
| R. Paul Frasier, Coos | Michael D. Schrunk, Multnomah |
| Everett Dial, Curry | John Fisher, Polk |
| Michael T. Dugan, Deschutes | Wade M. McLeod, Sherman |
| Timothy J. Colahan, Harney | William Porter, Tillamook |
| Marion Weatherford, Gilliam | Dean F. Gushwa, Umatilla |
| Ryan Joslin, Grant | Mona K. Williams, Wallowa |
| Edwin I. Caleb, Klamath | Eric Nisley, Wasco |
| Mark Huddleston, Jackson | Bob Hermann, Washington |
| Peter Deuel, Jefferson | Brad Berry, Yamhill |
| Stephen Campbell, Josephine |
(This information furnished by Kevin Neely, Oregon District Attorneys Association.)
Please Join Me In Voting for Measure 57:
It's A Better Way to Fight Crime
John Kroger
Former Federal Prosecutor
Democratic and Republican Nominee for
Oregon Attorney General
As a Federal Prosecutor, my job was to protect America from crime. In doing so, I convicted mafia killers, drug traffickers, and corrupt government officials. My background as a tough but ethical prosecutor is one big reason why I have received a very unusual honor: I have been nominated by both Democrats and Republicans to be Oregon's next Attorney General.
I am committed to making Oregon a safer place. That is why I urge you to join me by voting YES on Measure 57.
We need a tougher response to property crimes, identity theft, and crimes against the elderly. The vast majority of property and identity theft crimes in our state are committed by methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine addicts.
I believe we need to tackle this problem more aggressively. Law enforcement professionals like me know that the only way to reduce crime in our state is to couple tough sentences with effective drug treatment.
Measure 57 is the only measure on the ballot that is both tough and smart:
If you, like me, believe we need a tough and smart strategy to stop crime please join me by voting YES on Measure 57 – the better way to fight crime.
JOHN KROGER
Former Federal Prosecutor / Democratic and Republican Nominee for Attorney General
(This information furnished by John R. Kroger.)
Oregon Corrections Employees say Yes on Measure 57
No one understands the frustration of the current revolving doors in the prison system better than those of us who work there. We watch repeat offenders come and go, over and over, each time leaving new victims in their wake. This is just not acceptable.
We want the tools to stop the revolving door justice system that threatens our neighborhoods. Every time we take custody of an inmate who is a repeat offender, the system has failed us.
85 percent of the criminals convicted of property crimes have drug or alcohol addictions. The only way to lower the possibility that they will commit new crimes is to require treatment while they are in our custody.
For the victims of identity theft the damage can be devastating. When convicted we want to make sure these criminals serve time in a state prison, not out on the streets where they can victimize more citizens.
Even more important, Measure 57 eliminates probation for repeat drug traffickers and makes sure pushers who prey on our kids get the tough sentences they deserve.
As Oregon's professional corrections employees we share your frustration. We need the tools to hold these criminals accountable.
Please join us in Voting Yes on Measure 57!
Joyce Armstead
Counselor at the Oregon Youth Authority
James Buhlinger
Corrections Officer at Deer Ridge prison, Madras
Larry W. Campbell
Corrections Officer at OSP Minimum, Salem
Vernon R. Hampton, Jr.
Corrections Officer at Santiam prison, Salem
Amanda Rasmussen
Corrections Officer at Coffee Creek women's prison, Wilsonville
Tina Turner-Morfitt
Corrections Intake Counselor at Coffee Creek women's prison, Wilsonville
(This information furnished by Mary Botkin, Oregon AFSCME Council 75.)
Oregon Association of
Community Corrections Directors
Endorse Measure 57
Measure 57 is good public safety policy based upon research and evidence. Measure 57 is the better way to fight crime.
People who are committing repeat property offenses need to be held accountable and the citizens of Oregon expect us to be smarter in our fight on crime. Measure 57 incorporates the necessary balance of sanctions, prison, community supervision, and drug treatment to hold criminal offenders accountable.
Drug abuse and property crime are a major concern for all Oregonians. When someone commits a property crime for the first time, the majority of those people are committing the crime because of substance abuse. The strategy of Measure 57 is designed to incorporate a prompt initial response with jail and/or prison to be followed with the long-term response of community supervision and evidence-based drug treatment.
Effective treatment must be combined with enforcement if Oregon is to deal with the consequences of drug abuse, such as identity theft, property crimes and the dislocation of families. Measure 57 will increase prison terms for repeat offenders, but also requires more comprehensive drug treatment.
Supporting the reduction of recidivism through evidence-based supervision and treatment, Measure 57 also incorporates Drug Courts—which are receiving positive outcomes, showing a reduction in arrest rates throughout the nation.
The evidence shows that holding offenders accountable through supervision, sanctions and treatment reduces new criminal activity and results in fewer victims.
Measure 57 is the better way to fight crime.
OREGON ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS DIRECTORS
(This information furnished by Steven Berger, Oregon Association of Community Corrections Directors.)
GRANDPARENTS, PARENTS AND
YOUR NEIGHBORS SAY
YES ON MEASURE 57
As our population ages and baby boomers' retire, more and more people will be in the place we are in now: on fixed incomes and in the later part of our lives. In Oregon alone, cases of elder financial exploitation have tripled in the last two decades. Being a victim of identity or property crime is a difficult thing to recover from at any age but for older folks, the damage can be life threatening.
Oregon citizens and especially crime victims deserve Measure 57.
Did you know that someone could steal your identity, ruin your credit for years and walk away with just probation? We deserve more, and as senior citizens, we know Measure 57 will give identity thieves the sentences they deserve.
Oregon has a serious problem: it's the same group of people committing the same crimes over and over.
Measure 57 cracks down on repeat offenders and helps stop the cycle of crime by requiring drug treatment before offenders are released.
Measure 57 is the better way to fight crime. Join us.
ADVOCATES FOR SENIORS SAY YES TO 57
Save Oregon Seniors
Oregon State Council for Retired Citizens
Frederick Olson, Co-Chair, Advocacy Coalition for Seniors and People with Disabilities
Oregon Alliance for Retired Americans
Elders in Action Commission
(This information furnished by Matt Blevins, The Better Way To Fight Crime Committee.)
I WORK IN YOUTH CORRECTIONS
My job is to work to protect the public and hold youth offenders
accountable for their behavior. Help me do my job by voting
YES ON 57.
DID YOU KNOW?
The social characteristics of Oregon's youth in corrections:1
Used Alcohol or Drugs: 71%
Parents Used Alcohol or Drugs: 65%
Drug crime leads to more crime. Measure 57 includes tougher sentencing for drug traffickers who prey on Oregon's youth. Help stop the cycle before it starts by voting YES ON 57.
DID YOU ALSO KNOW?
Oregon is a national leader in using effective treatment practices to prevent youth offenders from committing additional crimes.2
I work hard to prevent youth from returning to criminal behavior. Effective treatment includes drug treatment. The same is true for adults.
Measure 57 is the only measure on the ballot that includes required drug treatment and even tougher sentences for those who refuse treatment.
HELP ME DO MY JOB: VOTE YES ON 57.
Jeff Haynes, front-line worker, Oregon Youth Authority
1Data Source: OYA Mental Health Gap Assessment, 2008 Excluding Conduct Disorder
2http://www.oregon.gov/OYA/
(This information furnished by Matt Blevins, The Better Way To Fight Crime Committee.)
STOP THE REVOLVING DOOR
UNITED WAY MID-WILLAMETTE VALLEY
URGES A YES VOTE ON MEASURE 57
United Way Mid-Willamette Valley works to advance the common good and create opportunities for a better life for all. We focus on the basics we all need to succeed: Education, income, health. Our goal is to create long-lasting change that prevents problems from happening in the first place.
We see the wreckage of the current failed system everyday in the work we do: Unsafe neighborhoods, substance addiction, threats to kids and the elderly.
Oregon must do better.
THE REVOLVING DOOR OF DRUG AND
ALCOHOL ADDICTION
85% of people in jail for property crimes have drug or alcohol problems.
49% of property crime offenders will commit another crime when they are released, continuing the revolving door cycle of crime.
Under the current system, less than 15% of inmates receive intensive drug and alcohol treatment.
Measure 57 will change that.
TOUGHER SENTENCES AND
MANDATORY DRUG TREATMENT
Measure 57 has our support because it is the ONLY measure that recognizes that treatment has to be part of any effort to reduce property crime and identity theft. Tougher sentences alone won't stop the current revolving door.
Join us in voting YES for Measure 57.
THE BETTER WAY TO FIGHT CRIME
UNITED WAY MID-WILLAMETTE VALLEY
(This information furnished by Matt Blevins, The Better Way To Fight Crime Committee.)
STAND FOR CHILDREN SAYS
MEASURE 57 MEANS SAFER COMMUNITIES
AND SAFER KIDS
Stand for Children works to build a powerful, grassroots citizen voice so that all children have the opportunity to grow up healthy, educated, and safe.
WE'RE ASKING YOU TO SAY YES ON 57
Drugs and drug-related crimes can tear apart families and communities. Unless we stop the cycle of addiction and revolving-door justice, we aren't solving the problem.
Measure 57 is a cost effective investment in our future and means safer Oregon children.
Keep Children from Becoming Victims of Crime
The incidence of drug abuse in a household is very closely related to child abuse and other violence against children. Measure 57 is the only measure on the ballot with the combination of treatments and sentences needed to change the behaviors that most threaten the safety of children.
Required Addiction Treatment to Stop Revolving-Door Justice
Measure 57 requires treatment for the 85% of currently incarcerated property criminals with drug and alcohol addiction.
A Good Investment for Taxpayers
Warehousing people in prison is an expensive way to solve a problem. Measure 57 is a two-pronged approach of tougher sentences and required drug treatment for drug-addicted offenders.
Measure 57 Means Safer Oregon Children
STAND FOR CHILDREN
SAYS YES ON 57
(This information furnished by Jonah Edelman, Stand for Children.)
Business leaders ask you to join in
supporting Measure 57.
As a bipartisan, statewide business organization, we represent over 300 homegrown businesses and large corporations from a wide range of industry sectors. Our decision to support Measure 57 was an easy one.
As business owners, we know first hand how identity thieves can ruin a lifetime of a customer's good credit and cause businesses to lose money. We know the losses a business has to sustain when it's the victim of property crime. We support this measure because:
As business owners, we see the huge financial cost of drugs and the crime drugs generate. These costs can end up eventually costing jobs as well as threatening our state's economy.
As your friends and neighbors, we've seen drugs tear at our communities and destroy our next generation. We've also seen repeat offenders get returned to the streets too quickly.
We support this measure because:
It's time for change. Measure 57 is a smart, tough,
cost-effective solution carefully crafted by law enforcement
and elected officials to bring the kinds of changes
we need to make Oregon safer.
We join our law enforcement community,
advocates for children and seniors, parents, teachers,
and Republicans and Democrats alike,
in saying Yes on Measure 57!
OREGON BUSINESS ASSOCIATION
(This information furnished by Ryan Deckert, Oregon Business Association.)
THE OREGON EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
URGES YOU TO VOTE YES ON 57
Keep Kids Safe and Families Together
The goal of the Oregon Education Association is to ensure that every child has access to a quality education and that kids are safe and supported. That's why we are asking Oregonians to Vote Yes on Measure 57.
As educators, we've seen firsthand the harm that drug addiction can do to children and families. We see students in our classrooms who suffer – emotionally and academically – because of their parents' addictions. We can do better.
Measure 57 helps keep families together. We need to hold offenders accountable, but it's not enough to incarcerate drug offenders. For the sake of the family, we must invest in treatment.
Measure 57 helps keep kids safe from abuse. Drug addiction often leads to violence in the home. We must stop the cycle of abuse. Only Measure 57 will impose tough penalties and the necessary treatment to change the behavior of the addict.
Measure 57 is a good investment in Oregon's future. Continuing to warehouse drug offenders is costly and it doesn't solve the problem in the long run. We need tough penalties and mandatory treatment to stop the revolving door in Oregon's criminal justice system. It will save taxpayer dollars and keep families together.
Please join us in voting Yes on Measure 57.
Larry Wolf, President
Oregon Education Association
(This information furnished by Larry Wolf, President, Oregon Education Association.)
Measure 57: A tougher and smarter way to reduce property and drug crime.
Measure 57 is tough on property crime. It will significantly increase prison sentences for repeat property crimes, identity theft, mail theft and crimes against the elderly.
Measure 57 is tough on drug crime. It will significantly increase prison sentences for repeat drug crimes. For people convicted of delivering or manufacturing drugs, prison sentences would range from 34 to 130 months, depending on factors such as the amount of drugs involved, the offender's criminal record and personal history, and whether drugs were sold to an adult or a juvenile. Current sentencing guidelines range from probation only to 45 months for the same crimes.
But while being tough on the manufacturers and dealers of certain drugs (cocaine, ecstasy, heroin or methamphetamine), this law would mandate drug and alcohol treatment for certain addicted offenders in order to reduce the likelihood of future criminal activity, and it will impose penalties for failure to complete treatment. That's being smarter.
This is a tough, no-nonsense measure, The authors of Measure 57 properly recognized that when offenders are treated for the core problems that lead to their criminal activity they are less likely to offend again. Only Measure 57 provides a sensible, long term strategy to reduce property and drug crime in our communities, making us all safer and more secure.
Oregon citizens have been outspoken in their desire to reduce property crimes. Measure 57 is tougher … and smarter and more effective.
Vote YES on Measure 57, the only crime measure that deserves your vote.
(This information furnished by Carla "KC" Hanson, Multnomah County Democrats.)
Juvenile Parole Officers Urge a
Yes vote on Measure 57
AFSCME Council 75 represents the professional men and women who work as Juvenile Parole Officers. We are the people who work with Oregon's delinquent youth in your communities every day.
Together we share your desire for changes in Oregon's criminal justice system. Measure 57 creates the toughest sentences for dealing meth, cocaine and heroin, and identity theft, and requires addiction treatment.
We are asking you to vote YES on 57. If you want a measure that will be tough on crime, send a message with your ballot. Measure 57 takes a carrot and a stick approach, not a rigid, one-size-fits-all approach. Youthful offenders must have treatment options for their addictions and have programs that give them an opportunity to change the direction of their lives. Measure 57 requires treatment for alcohol and drug addiction.
As youth corrections professionals, we know that when these offenders beat their own drug or alcohol addiction, they are less likely to commit new crimes. If an offender chooses not to participate in the treatment offered, their sentence will be longer as a result.
Measure 57 gives law enforcement and juvenile corrections professionals the tools they need to help our youth offenders change behavior.
If you want tougher sentences for repeat offenders, Measure 57 is the only choice that makes sense. That's why police, sheriffs, district attorneys, and juvenile parole officers like us are supporting Measure 57.
We are urging you to join us by voting YES on Measure 57.
Juvenile Parole Officers, AFSCME Council 75
(This information furnished by Matt Blevins, The Better Way To Fight Crime Committee.)
MORE TOOLS AND RESOURCES = THE BETTER WAY
TO FIGHT CRIME
FROM EVERY CORNER OF OREGON, LAW OFFICERS SAY,
"VOTE YES ON MEASURE 57"
Oregonians are frustrated that just a small number of criminals are responsible for so many crimes, especially when it comes to drug trafficking, property crimes and identity theft.
Measure 57 will help stop repeat offenders
and revolving door justice
We've helped identify the solution and we are asking for your support: Please give us the tools we need to keep your kids and community safe and help us stop the revolving door of Oregon's criminal justice system.
JOIN US IN VOTING YES ON MEASURE 57
Oregon Coast
Sheriff Todd Anderson – Tillamook County
Sheriff Dennis Dotson – Lincoln County
District Attorney Joshua Marquis – Clatsop County
District Attorney Everett Dial – Curry County
Willamette Valley
Sheriff Diana Simpson – Benton County
Sheriff Jack Crabtree – Yamhill County
District Attorney Brad Berry –- Yamhill County
District Attorney Walter M. Beglau – Marion County
Officer Vernon R. Hampton Jr. – Santiam Correctional Institution, Salem
Portland Metro Area
Sheriff Craig Roberts – Clackamas County
Sheriff Bob Skipper – Multnomah County
District Attorney Bob Hermann – Washington County
Officer Tina Turner-Morfitt – Coffee Creek Correctional Institution, Wilsonville
Southern Oregon
District Attorney Mark Huddleston – Jackson County
District Attorney Stephen Campbell – Josephine County
Central and Eastern Oregon
Sheriff John A. Trumbo – Umatilla County
District Attorney Michael T. Dugan -Deschutes County
District Attorney David Schutt – Lake County
Officer James Buhlinger – Deer Ridge Correctional Facility, Madras
(This information furnished by Matt Blevins, The Better Way To Fight Crime Committee.)
Measure 57 Is The Only Measure To Address
Root Cause of Drug Crimes
The Problem:
Drug use and addiction are behind a significant proportion of property crimes committed against Oregonians. Drug
addiction also takes its toll on thousands of individuals as they struggle to manage their disease, often without access to
treatment services vital to bring their disease under control.
Without proper treatment, the chronic brain disease of alcohol and drug addiction will continue to destroy families, strip innocent citizens of their identities, steal property, and cause fatal and injury crashes that have life-long consequences for unsuspecting victims. There is also no question that without proper drug and alcohol treatment services criminals addicted to drugs will re-offend at some time upon release.
Without proper alcohol and drug treatment for these offenders, Oregon taxpayers will continue to underwrite skyrocketing demands on the criminal justice, child welfare and foster care systems while the same offenders are re-arrested again, and again. The safety of everyone is compromised as untreated offenders re-enter society still addicted and unable to manage their disease.
How It Breaks Down:
Measure 57 provides much tougher sentences for repeat property crimes, and those who engage in a life-style of drug trafficking. Repeat offenders will face much harsher penalties, and we will all be safer as a result.
Measure 57 is the ONLY measure that requires urgently needed alcohol and drug addiction treatment for first-time and low risk offenders so they can successfully recover from the disease of addiction and become productive members of society. With proper treatment these offenders will have the medical care necessary to remain alcohol and drug free.
The Solution:
Vote "yes" for Measure 57, to keep all of us safer. It is the least costly and the ONLY public safety measure that addresses the root cause of so much of Oregon's property and identity crime, and requires alcohol and drug treatment for offenders.
To learn more visit our website at http://www.opera-oregon.us
(This information furnished by Debra Gilmour, Oregon Prevention, Education & Recovery Association (OPERA).)
END THE CYCLE OF CRIME.
VOTE "YES" ON MEASURE 57
Every day, the parole and probation officers across Oregon work to ensure that criminal offenders reintegrate into society and do not commit additional crimes in their communities.
Of all the factors that contribute to recidivism for offenders who commit property crimes and identity theft, none ranks higher than drug and alcohol addiction.
We see if it every day:
85% of offenders in jail for property crime have drug and alcohol addictions.
Under the current system, less than 15% get intensive drug or alcohol treatment.
Almost 50% of property crime offenders go on to commit additional crimes when they are released.
Without mandatory treatment, tougher sentences won't stop the revolving door for perpetrators of property crimes and identity theft.
That's why we are supporting Measure 57.
It has tough sentences for drug kingpins and criminals who target out kids and the elderly. But it also has required drug and alcohol treatment to stop the revolving door.
It is the better way to fight crime in Oregon.
Vote Yes on Measure 57.
FEDERATION OF OREGON PAROLE AND PROBATION OFFICERS
(This information furnished by Matt Blevins, The Better Way To Fight Crime Committee.)
VOTE YES ON 57
THE BETTER WAY TO FIGHT CRIME
Oregonians are frustrated that just a small number of criminals are responsible for so many crimes, especially when it comes to drug trafficking, property crimes and identity theft.
Measure 57 toughens sentences for those who prey on the elderly and children, and gives law enforcement the tools it needs to stop the revolving door of Oregon's criminal justice system.
Measure 57 holds criminals accountable.
Victims of identity theft can have their lives ruined and their savings stolen. It can take years to get good credit again. It just makes sense to treat these crimes – and drug crimes against children – more seriously.
Measure 57 is the only measure that will stop
revolving door justice.
With 85% of incarcerated property criminals fueled by drug or alcohol addiction, Measure 57 ALSO requires mandatory drug treatment, to finally break the cycle of crime. One-size-fits-all solutions aren't the answer, which is why Measure 57 – with tougher sentences AND required addiction treatment – is the better way to fight crime.
JOIN US.
VOTE YES ON 57.
www.betterwaytofightcrime.com
Oregon Council of Police Associations
Oregon Police Chiefs for Safer Communities
Oregon Community Corrections Directors
Federation of Oregon Parole and Probation Officers
Juvenile Parole Officers – AFSCME Council 75
SEIU, Local 503, representing front-line workers at the Oregon Youth Authority, and 45,000 other workers
Oregon Business Association
Save Oregon Seniors
Oregon State Council for Retired Citizens
Frederick Olson, Co-Chair, Advocacy Coalition of Seniors and People with Disabilities
Oregon Alliance for Retired Americans
Elders in Action Commission
United Way Mid-Willamette Valley
AARP Oregon, Gerald J. Cohen State Director
Sheriffs, district attorneys, and law enforcement from all across Oregon
(This information furnished by Matt Blevins, The Better Way To Fight Crime Committee.)
As a Victim of Identity Theft,
I Support Measure 57 as the
Smart Approach to Fighting Crime
Dear fellow Oregonian,
For almost a decade, my family has been dealing with the trauma and trouble connected to having my personal information stolen. The impacts of identity theft are long lasting and the victimization is a very real problem that Oregon must address.
In addition to having my bank account emptied, I have had to deal with countless hotel bills, cell phone accounts, and other transactions conducted using my name and Social Security number. In addition to the financial burden this creates, the time and energy it takes to solve these never-ending problems is intense. I am still unsure whether these problems will ever stop.
I don't want what happened to me
to happen to anyone else
and that is why I support Measure 57.
We need to hold identity thieves accountable and Measure 57 does that.
Oregon also needs to get smart about this problem. The biggest driver of property crime and identity theft is drug addiction, and countless Oregonians will continue to be victimized if we are not addressing the root cause of these crimes.
I support Measure 57 because it combines tougher sentencing with required drug treatment. We need to do more than lock people up. By getting offenders the addiction treatment they need, we begin to actually break the cycle of crime.
Sincerely,
Scott Gregory
Support Measure 57
It Gets Smart on Crime
(This information furnished by Matt Blevins, The Better Way To Fight Crime Committee.)
AARP Oregon urges Oregonians to
vote "YES" on Measure 57
Measure 57 is the better way to bring
the kind of change Oregon needs
Older Oregonians are frustrated that just a small number of criminals are responsible for so many crimes, especially when it comes to drug trafficking, property crimes and identity theft. Measure 57 is the better way to fight crime.
Measure 57 has provisions that will help seniors
and our most vulnerable citizens
Measure 57 will help make Oregon safe and
it's far more cost-effective
While Oregon is ranked 18th in the nation for property crime, the bigger problem is that repeat offenders are the ones committing a significant portion of that crime. And nearly 85 percent of repeat property offenders are addicted to drugs or alcohol. The only way to break that cycle and make sure offenders won't repeat their crimes is to make sure drug treatment is required. Measure 57 does just that AND it has tougher penalties for those who refuse treatment.
Dollar for dollar, Measure 57 is a wiser investment for our seniors, families and communities without a more expensive, rigid, one-size-fits-all approach.
Let's bring better, smarter security to
Oregon seniors and families by voting
"YES" on Measure 57
AARP Oregon
Gerald J Cohen, State Director
AARP Oregon
Ray Miao, State Volunteer President
(This information furnished by Gerald J Cohen, AARP Oregon.)