Oregon Public Broadcasting

An Oregon Senate panel voted Tuesday to put a controversial prisoner re-sentencing program on hold.

Lawmakers approved the original plan last year as a way to cut costs in the public safety budget.

Critics blasted the effort, saying it allowed violent criminals to get out of prison early

Now, the Senate Judiciary Committee has voted to suspend the early release program until July of next year. Democratic Senator Floyd Prozanski chairs the committee.

Floyd Prozanksi:  "What that means is anyone thatís currently scheduled for a re-sentencing hearing, upon the passage of this bill, will no longer have that right to go forward."

The bill also calls for the Oregon Secretary of State to audit the so-called "earned time" program to study its impact on recidivism.

One anti-crime group said the time-out on re-sentencing program doesn't go far enough.

Tara Lawrence of the Oregon Anti-Crime Alliance said what she sees as an on-again, off-again strategy undermines public trust in the judicial system.