May 18th, 2017

FEATURING:

Oregon Justice Resource Center attorney and Women in Prison Project director Julia Yoshimoto, discussing mandatory minimum policies in Oregon.  While Attorney General Jeff Sessions has signaled a shift away from Obama-era sentencing reforms and towards stricter adherence to federal mandatory minimums, Oregon has several such state policies of its own.  Measure 57, which imposed stricter sentencing for certain property crimes, was referred to voters by the legislature and approved in 2008.  Julia's 2017 report Unlocking Measure 57 examined the measure's impact on Oregon women in particular and its contribution to rising incarceration rates.

AND:

OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon's Bus Riders Unite! organizer Orlando Lopez, discussing his organization's call to "demand decriminalized Trimet."  Local transit agency Trimet recently announced it would spend $11 million relocating its central police precinct, and that it would expand fare enforcement efforts.  Activists have characterized the future police station as a "transit jail" and have called for a focus on programs and reforms that help riders from underrepresented communities, which they argue are disproportionately impacted by transit law enforcement.  Trimet released a statement disputing OPAL & BRU's claims that they are criminalizing transit.  On Wednesday May 24th, OPAL & supporters will voice their demands in the public forum portion of Trimet's next board meeting.