SJC Exchange Library

Originally posted by Bryn Eckman on 12/19/2024

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The ISLG Research Consortium along with Consortium member, Justice System Partners, has published the results of a case study of Multnomah County, Oregon  focused on the impact of emergency COVID-19 measures on jail reduction efforts, and how emergency measures could continue in the post-pandemic era. Multnomah County provided an interesting context in terms of jail bookings and community perceptions, as they had reduced jail bookings by 50 percent from the start of the pandemic, but had experienced over 100 days of social unrest in response to the murder of George Floyd simultaneously to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Using administrative data from the Multnomah County Jail and interviews with people across the Multnomah County criminal legal system, including judges, attorneys, and law enforcement, and interviews with Multnomah County community members, including individuals incarcerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study aimed to identify the emergency strategies selected and implemented to reduce the jail population, the impact of those strategies on jail trends and jail bookings for violence-related charges, and perceptions of safety during this time for criminal legal system stakeholders and community members.

Attached is the executive summary of the full technical evaluation report as well as the strategic policy and practice recommendations.

You can also view the impact report and the full technical evaluation here.