Criminal Justice Commission outlines statewide grants portfolio, seeks better data to measure impact

Ken Sanchgren, executive director of the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, and Deputy Director Ryan Keck described the commission’s grants portfolio for the House and Senate judiciary committees on Jan. 22, highlighting programs that fund supervision, treatment, reentry services and targeted enforcement across Oregon.

Sanchgren said the commission administers the Justice Reinvestment grant program (created in 2013 by House Bill 3194) and that the program now directs more than $50 million per biennium to counties for supervision, client services, treatment and housing supports aimed at reducing prison populations and recidivism. He told lawmakers that justice reinvestment and later changes (including House Bill 3078 in 2017) have reduced certain prison intakes and that reporting tied the program to an estimated $600 million in avoided costs compared with roughly $200 million invested.

Ke…