Oregon Prison Population Forecast To Level Off

By April Baer | April 1, 2010 5:29 p.m. | Updated: June 16, 2010 11:56 p.m. | Portland, OR

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After several years of sustained growth, Oregon’s prison population is expected to level off over the next two years. That’s the gist of a new state forecast.Lonn Hoklin, with the Department of Administrative Services, said about 14,000 people are incarcerated in Oregon right now. “The state prison population will probably grow only a little bit over the next two years. And it’ll grow by the end of the decade by about another two thousand – up to sixteen-thousand. For reference, that’s about equivalent to a city the size of Sherwood," he said.Over the past several years, Oregon expected to have more and more inmates – and a need for more prison facilities. Projections like this – if they hold up – could change that.Hoklin says the flattened forecast is due in part to the delayed implementation of Measure 57 – an initiative that calls for tougher sentences for certain property crimes. The legislature postponed putting its rules into effect.

© 2010 OPB

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