State of the State's Justice System

It's been a few days since I last wrote -- hard to say why, but suffice to say things have been a little hectic. I am part of the 2008 class of Leadership Portland, which is made up of a fantastic group of leaders from the Portland area. Last Thursday was our first program day in which we learned all about Law/Justice in the city. My day started off with a visit to the 911 call center which was fascinating. There weren't enough operators for us all to pair up but we did get to hear a few recorded calls, including one from a man who thought his wife was having a miscarriage. When asked how far along she was, he replied, "She's not pregnant." Much to his surprise, in the next three minutes a full-term baby emerged! Okay, I still don't get how 1. a woman can hide a pregnancy and 2. how there are people on this earth who swear they didn't actually KNOW they were pregnant. I've been pregnant...there was no hiding or denying it! Anyway, I digress. Later than day our class heard from Rosie Sizer, chief of police, Bernie Guisto, Multnomah County sheriff, Max Williams, state director of prisons, Judge McShane, DA Michael Schrunk and U.S. Attorney for Oregon Karin Immergut, Federal Public Defender Steve Wax and Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court of Oregon Ancer Haggerty. I found myself glued to what these people had to say about the state of our city and state's justice system. And while each of them clearly has their own views and agendas, it was really a day free of political persuasions and antagonism toward each other. It was enlightening and made me think about real issues that impact our community...and will likely change the way I vote this Nov. I don't think it's right that our prison system has become the most common place to get mental evaluations and help and I also don't like the cost associated with housing inmates who have committed a first-time Measure 11 offense -- there's got to be a better way. I am from Lakeview which now houses one of the state's newest prisons -- yet it's already near capacity. What's going to stop the trend? There are people out there who need help, rehabilitation, medical assistance and a regimented program to follow upon release from jail or prison. Otherwise, they will end right back up where they started...committing a crime in our neighborhoods, and that is not an option I want to accept.