Oregon Gov. Kate Brown will release inmates to limit coronavirus threat in state prisons; about 100 meet criteria

–Updated 7:32 PM; Today 2:29 PM

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Gov. Kate Brown on Friday told the Oregon Department of Corrections director to review inmates for possible release to limit the spread of coronavirus in the state prison system.

Brown asked the department to perform “a case-by-case analysis” of inmates who are vulnerable to the virus and outlined a list of criteria for possible commutation. An agency spokeswoman said about 100 inmates meet the governor’s criteria.

The Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem is the largest coronavirus outbreak in the state. The latest count as of Thursday shows 139 inmates there have tested positive, with several dozen staff members also diagnosed with the virus, the department reported. Many inmates have balked at testing out of fear they will be transferred to an even more restrictive setting so the number of cases may underrepresent the actual state of the disease in the prison.

The governor’s criteria includes inmates who are “particularly vulnerable” to the disease, those who have not been convicted of a crime against another person and those who have served at least half of their sentences.

Potential candidates for commutation must have a good conduct record for the past 12 months and a “suitable housing plan” for release, she said in her letter to Colette Peters, Oregon’s corrections chief.

“In no case may an adult in custody be released if they present an unacceptable safety, security, or compliance risk to the community,” she wrote.

Brown told Peters to provide her with the names of eligible inmates by June 22.

“While DOC acted quickly to meet the threat presented by COVID-19, there are limits to the department’s ability to implement physical distancing in a correctional setting,” Brown wrote. “Given what we now know about the disease and its pervasiveness in our communities, it is appropriate to release individuals who face significant health challenges should they contract COVID-19.”

In a statement, Peters said she has reviewed the letter from the governor.

“I appreciate the governor ensuring those she considers for commutation have community resources, as it relates to housing and medical care,” she said. "We will work closely with our community public safety and public health partners throughout this process to protect the public to the best of our ability.”

https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2020/06/gov-kate-brown-will-release-inmates-to-limit-coronavirus-threat.html

You have to question the sanity of these idiots. Who in their right mind releases people in jail for no real good reason? No responsible leader would do that. This just goes to show that they are in fact aiding and abetting our enemies and trying to cause as much damage and chaos as possible.

Apparently she can't run again in 2022 which is a good thing, but she can still cause a lot of damage between now and then.

>>9593216

Gov. Kate Brown, who can’t seek re-election in 2022, keeps raising and spending campaign cash anyway

https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2019/08/gov-kate-brown-who-cant-seek-re-election-in-2022-keeps-raising-and-spending-campaign-cash-anyway.html

Updated Aug 03, 2019; Posted Aug 03, 2019

Since taking office in 2015, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has almost continuously been on the campaign trail.

The unusual circumstances of her rise to the state’s highest office — she became governor when John Kitzhaber resigned amid an influence peddling scandal — meant she had to run for election twice in the last four years.

And strikingly, instead of taking a break after winning re-election last year, Brown has continued raising money for her political action committee and spending it on campaign efforts including polls, ads and political advisers. That’s despite the fact she can’t seek re-election in 2022.

She’s logged more than 50 hours this year on what her state staffers describe in her official calendar as “campaign” time or “personal political activity,” with a flurry of such appointments in recent weeks.

Much of the $800,000 Brown’s political action committee had on hand as of Friday was left over from her 2018 gubernatorial race. However, Brown also raised $355,000 in the first seven months of 2019 and reported spending even more: $460,000, according to state campaign finance records. Those figures might not show the full picture, since Oregon allows candidates 30 days to report transactions.

While House members are barred from accepting donations when the Legislature is in session and many senators also refrain from it, Brown raised $238,000 during the session that ran from January through June, with more than $40,000 of that from small donations of $100 or less.

The governor wouldn’t agree to an interview to discuss her campaign strategy or why a sitting term-limited governor who is not running for another office should engage in “private political activity” during the work week. But her political consultants told The Oregonian/OregonLive that at least part of that work is to accomplish her policy priorities as governor.

https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2019/08/gov-kate-brown-who-cant-seek-re-election-in-2022-keeps-raising-and-spending-campaign-cash-anyway.html