On July 2, FAMM President Julie Stewart saluted Oregonian legislative leaders for approving a bipartisan criminal justice bill that will improve public safety and save taxpayers $326 million over the next ten years. The state senate passed the measure yesterday. Governor John Kizhaber, who strongly supported sentencing and prison reform, is expected to sign the bill.

“Oregon’s leaders deserve credit for taking a balanced approach to criminal justice reform,” said Ms. Stewart. “In addition to expanding parole for nonviolent offenders, their bipartisan bill eliminates mandatory minimum sentences for certain drug offenders and reduces sentences for marijuana-related and other crimes. These front-end sentencing reforms are critical to achieving long-term reductions in crime and corrections spending.” Ms. Stewart also praised 
The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Public Safety Performance Project and The Partnership for Safety and Justice for their roles in developing the Oregon reforms.

FAMM published a major report in March 2013 titled “Turning off the Spigot: How Sentencing Safety Valves Can Help States Protect Public Safety and Save Money.” The report explained how other states had kept crime low while eliminating or reforming their counterproductive and costly mandatory minimum sentencing laws.

FAMM is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that advocates for fair, individualized, and proportionate sentences that fit the crime and the individual while protecting public safety.  Learn more at famm.org.

## 30 ##