[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6486995,"mediaKeyId","5477917-396a659c97f6bbad422f7b3e8d30c5e0","parentId",5477917,"title","County auditor releases audit of Department of Community Justice, recommends reducing jail sanctions and improving referrals and grievance process","audioSeconds",2099,"startMs",5868000,"endMs",7967000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5477917-396a659c97f6bbad422f7b3e8d30c5e0&start=5868&end=7967","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5477917-396a659c97f6bbad422f7b3e8d30c5e0/thumbnail_5868000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6486995/Multnomah-County/Oregon/County-auditor-releases-audit-of-Department-of-Community-Justice-recommends-reducing-jail-sanctions-and-improving-referrals-and-grievance-process","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6486995-c16ebf28ab60946b18b3957c697b798a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770500724&Signature=Cy2uUNZNxzfJQA54BoPgXes1vcTWWSlRyVs2Gm-lblBbEyHi~dVWIfMQUUQUYolIaHstDy48byebzVf5UNVSkWCXLYGv8ZJ4mt3XAsWPdEHWQ3V5AEPCF4GG1alk3Lav7iTajlboHPpp4FR506GlAwXu3C4NPpChLbm8UBy4yXwiJAOqzrjibOnTS9s8apdlYJ0UcNjNwV~-asdfsGWCrL-BET-w9lnB0s-GzTJdJgaogtoHU0mB~mL2PnsIPFAiZLrB42aEHvyDsPVGynlxhSHJ9WurSVeN1ztPRkpqzVTAXPutHsQhqnQ4jjm-P6EQ04cuTT6mYX7YBmDA7pB70A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Multnomah County","date","2025-07-25T04:57:31.867Z","article","The Multnomah County auditor presented an audit of the Department of Community Justice’s adult services, concluding that current sanctioning practices and documentation gaps worsen outcomes for people under supervision and disproportionately affect Black and Native American individuals.

Auditor Jennifer McGurk and audit director Nicole Duweez summarized methods — interviews with people with lived experience, DCJ staff and external experts, case file reviews and data analysis. The audit reported that the population under supervision declined from 11,089 in 2019 to 6,613 in 2024 while technical sanction days increased over the same period. Auditors said 38% of people on supervision had a documented history of homelessness and 26% had documented serious mental illness.

Key findings and recommendations included: (1) reduce reliance on jail sanctions for technical violations and create a written policy that limits jail sanctions to clear public safety threats with measurable criteria; (2) address racial disparities by publishing quarterly, disaggregated data dashboards on sanctions and absconsions; (3) develop a strategy and minimum documented efforts to locate and support people at risk of absconding, particularly those experiencing homelessness or mental illness; (4) improve documentation and set clear staff expectations for providing and recording referrals to mental health, housing, and treatment services; (5) expand low‑barrier resource models such as stabilization and readiness programs; and (6) reform the grievance process to ensure accessibility, consistent retention and investigation of complaints, online submission, a responsible staff point of contact, and annual trend reporting to the board.

Auditors emphasized that many of the harms documented — interruption of treatment, housing loss, and employment disruption — extend beyond the individual to families and communities. The report included 24 recommendations, all with implementation targets and a full implementation due date of May 31, 2027. The auditor’s office said it will follow up on implementation after recommendations’ due dates.

Public commenters during the meeting included Sonya Weber, a Multnomah County parole and probation officer who said the audit showed bias and understates victim safety, and Matt Scott, who criticized the audit’s methods and said that jail sanctions respond to behaviors that can pose real public safety risks. Several commissioners pressed the auditors and DCJ leadership on which aspects of sanctioning were constrained by state law and which were subject to DCJ policy. DCJ Director Denise Peña and Adult Services Director Tara Hubbard acknowledged statutory constraints (reporting absconsions to sentencing authorities or parole board and the resulting warrants) but said the department is already taking steps such as revising policies, limiting short jail sanctions without manager approval, improving documentation of referrals, and integrating racial equity reviews into sanctioning practice oversight.

The board discussed the audit at length. Commissioners raised concerns about data fragmentation across systems, the need to coordinate county departments for housing and mental health capacity, and the difference between documenting referrals and ensuring services exist. Auditor McGurk said the audit’s scope concentrated on people under supervision and recommended system‑level actions for the board to evaluate capacity (housing, inpatient mental health beds) and to fund culturally responsive and low‑barrier services. The auditor’s team will publish the report and follow up on the recommendations with a public implementation review dated May 31, 2027.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","07.24.25 Regular Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The Multnomah County auditor delivered an audit of the Department of Community Justice’s adult services that found racial disparities in sanctioning, increased technical sanction days since 2019, gaps in referrals for mental health and housing needs, and problems with the grievance process.","taxTitle","Multnomah County, Oregon","taxId",2759,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6487000,"County approves alternative procurement to advance Walnut Park redevelopment with community partnership focus",4365,1835000,6200000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5477917-396a659c97f6bbad422f7b3e8d30c5e0&start=1835&end=6200","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5477917-396a659c97f6bbad422f7b3e8d30c5e0/thumbnail_1835000.jpg","/articles/6487000/Multnomah-County/Oregon/County-approves-alternative-procurement-to-advance-Walnut-Park-redevelopment-with-community-partnership-focus","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6487000-d6e0cac7c5a45b7562bd86c976af1eb9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770500724&Signature=QUxMb8F3yaV6YocooKtBoCB37QXP2R8T6OD4RQtupOQVzafXUe591wPsAwsMuA~aO3gvHvMZnbAy3gE7YS77SLdLw34XzvkKSJ1Ugm6-HJUEzjK~cE62D-INk46Kb3DYxIS13FXFnS4NJisAKa8-7K5WJxcrBIsmqhrCtRNxUw-yUYl7h3JhFLKOUifbM2CGqL5RqM19bNnIpxc50Fqb8BPg-nCPapra-vMwvzWDn6-d0-NbA2iqWZysq3ZqxQ6alfPHhmll09QP3cVJ7BOnmHUzrWg3Y1qeCqQYBDRI0AjdQdZJ4hSULnnFmWLg8X3NPWdvIoiEwiysS-yN8cs4RA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution authorizing an exemption from the traditional design‑bid‑build procurement method and approving an alternative contracting approach for the Walnut Park redevelopment project.

Commissioners framed the action as an early authorizing step to allow county staff to issue a multistage request for proposals (RFP) that will seek a development partner able to center community priorities, advance wealth‑building for Black and BIPOC residents, and pursue culturally responsive services in the North and Northeast Portland neighborhood historically known as Albina.

County strategic initiatives manager Hayden Miller, senior policy advisor Garrett Prior and purchasing manager Brian Smith described the project site as roughly two acres at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Killingsworth, with a 1951 building that county facility assessments estimate would require about $5.2 million in repairs in the next five years. Staff said earlier studies (including a 2022 report) and community engagement had identified goals such as affordable housing, small business ownership opportunities, flexible community spaces, and culturally centered health and service uses.

Under the approved approach, staff will draft and release an RFP this summer or early fall and select a development partner in the fall. Staff described the procurement as multistage: the county will authorize a phase 0 or \"proposal development\" stage (12–18 months) to define funding, ownership, management and design options and to center community and advisory board input. The board previously appropriated $150,000 to fund the initial stage; staff said any major actions, land transfers, or capital investments would require separate board approvals.

Speakers during public testimony and at the dais emphasized community leadership and ownership. Jesse Beeson, a community advocate, urged the county to \"center love and make magic\" by partnering with local organizations. Aniele Halova, founder and CEO of ADRE, said city projects such as Williams and Russell demonstrate the potential of equity‑focused public‑private partnerships. Community speakers also urged that affordable units include paths to ownership rather than only rental models.

Commissioners pressed staff on specific fiscal mechanics — including the difference between leasing and owning county space, bonding eligibility for owned versus leased facilities, and whether the county might condo‑style preserve a county portion for bond financing while enabling private or community development on other parcels. Purchasing manager Smith and county finance staff said several delivery and financing options will be analyzed during the proposal development stage and that board checkpoints and off‑ramps will be built into the multistage process. The board voted unanimously to adopt the resolution.","The Multnomah County Board approved a resolution authorizing an alternative contracting approach and exemption from a lowest‑bid requirement to pursue a multistage RFP and development partnership for the Walnut Park site, emphasizing equity, community engagement and a 12–18 month proposal development timeline.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6487004,"Multnomah County adopts ordinance to implement ranked‑choice voting for county contests",510,1341000,1851000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5477917-396a659c97f6bbad422f7b3e8d30c5e0&start=1341&end=1851","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5477917-396a659c97f6bbad422f7b3e8d30c5e0/thumbnail_1341000.jpg","/articles/6487004/Multnomah-County/Oregon/Multnomah-County-adopts-ordinance-to-implement-rankedchoice-voting-for-county-contests","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6487004-816b4e04cde036587c62adbfd2d6a3a1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770500724&Signature=cB88bDM3RMP3tDaYU-oefpeONFel64hCPogOUlvBf8OmIqMxHHZAzakM8kC5cgXMahhaF45KTtATao1n~MzVNAWJfxgHvDBOrpU2ocy98jvD-mIj8g~56tI~wQ0ssfQzpJckBD8H8DJr0ZDsvS59eUi6JVxZJCxYfGb1R78dYRqET4j8AF5l7vmmwEFsCas5GBUzI2A5Whm3dXX705lRGorcJVZZgjngSxJkzMDjR9ZnVF8~-LIUFzk0-ZbNbdxb4Be7Co2lNPSF1kZQZuVhg~LjZh-Qw-FinHOUi3DbhZzEprCVRcEbLCO8hCDWc5U-ZdVOIKdyN4pr3~1G~DKv7Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Multnomah County commissioners unanimously adopted an ordinance amending county code chapter 5 to implement single‑winner ranked‑choice voting (RCV) for county candidate elections.

Elections Director Tim Scott and Ranked Choice Voting Project Manager Leah Benson told the board the ordinance aligns county rules with the Multnomah County Home Rule Charter and the City of Portland’s RCV code and will allow the county to prepare for its first RCV contests in November 2026. \"A key goal in the drafting of the ordinance was consistency between the city and county election codes,\" Benson said.

The ordinance mirrors several City of Portland practices, including: (1) single‑winner RCV for county contests; (2) a required certification of write‑in candidates; (3) allowing voters to rank up to six candidates on ballots; and (4) the same automatic voter‑intent interpretations for common ballot errors (skipped rankings, repeated rankings, overvotes). Scott said the Elections Division successfully administered Portland’s first RCV contest and is using lessons from that experience in drafting county procedures.

Benson also described administrative details the code will clarify. The proposed code sets a minimum of two filed candidates for RCV to be used in a contest and permits \"batch elimination\" during tabulation to collapse multiple simultaneous eliminations for administrative efficiency without changing final outcomes. Benson cited examples from New York City and Portland showing batch elimination can shorten tabulation rounds while producing the same winner.

Commissioners asked several procedural questions about conflicts of interest and voter education; Commissioner Singleton said staff had already met with her team to answer prior questions. No public testimony was offered on the ordinance, and the board voted: Moyer — yes; Singleton — yes; Broom Edwards — yes; Jones Dixon — yes; Chair Vega Peterson — yes. The ordinance was adopted.

The Elections Division said code changes will be followed by planning for voter education and updates to election administration procedures. The office will continue preparing for implementation tasks ahead of the county’s expected use of RCV in 2026.","The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted an ordinance amending county code chapter 5 to implement single‑winner ranked‑choice voting for county candidate elections, aligning county rules with the City of Portland and preparing for county contests in November 2026.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County auditor releases audit of Department of Community Justice, recommends reducing jail sanctions and improving referrals and grievance process

County approves alternative procurement to advance Walnut Park redevelopment with community partnership focus

Multnomah County adopts ordinance to implement ranked‑choice voting for county contests