Oregon Public Broadcasting

A Lane County family has indicated it will file a lawsuit over a man who committed rape after being released from jail early. April Baer reports.

Lane County's had long-standing problems funding public safety.

Earlier this year, when the county jail was short 86 beds because of budget problems, Paul John Reid Dawson was among the inmates released early. 

He was serving time for assault and theft.  After his release, Dawson raped a woman in a downtown parking garage.

Now the victim's family has filed notice of its intent to sue over his early release.

Law professor Norman Williams directs the Center for Law and Government at Willamette University.

He says courts traditionally haven't punished public officials in this type of situation.

Norman Williams   "Neither under federal law or under most states law is the government obligated to ensure that private citizens do not encounter harm at the hands of another private citizen."

Lane County officials re-opened the closed sections of the jail in August, providing some relief for jail overcrowding.

The county's funding problems are due in part to a historic reliance on timber industry revenues.