OR Jails More Teens Than Other States, Blacks Jailed More: Study

OREGON -- A new study found Oregon jails more young people than any other state with black minors jailed more than any other races. The study, released by the Oregon Council on Civil rights, evaluates Measure 11, a 1994 bill approved by voters that requires juveniles 15 and older be charged as adults in crimes such as murder, assault, kidnapping and rape.

The study states Measure 11 is an aged approach to incarceration that fails to consider how young people think.

"Oregon’s policy of charging youth as adults under Measure 11 is a harsh and costly practice that stands
at odds with a contemporary understanding of brain science," the study said. "While other states have modernized their approaches, Oregon has not."

The study found Oregon "incarcerates young people at a higher rate than almost every other state in the country, including Texas and Louisiana. In fact, Oregon has the second highest rate of youth transfers to adult court in the nation, with young people - especially youth of color - subjected to lifelong consequences as a result. The data underscore the racial disparities: in 2012, Oregon convicted black youth of Measure 11 offenses at 17 times the rate of their white counterparts."

Researchers recommend removing juveniles from the Measure 11 law and returning to a "discretionary waiver" system. They also recommend giving juveniles the option of a "second-look hearing" to prove they can change.

Read the full study here.