Governor Brown released her recommended budget today for the 2017-2019 biennium focused on “education, health care, and job creation.” The budget includes new investments in certain areas and also cuts in other areas due to a projected $1.4 billion shortfall in the general fund.
Public Safety/Emergency Management Highlights Include:
- $32 million in grant funding to counties for the Justice Reinvestment Initiative. This is a reduced amount from the 2015-2017 biennium of $40 million. Governor Brown states that “resources will now be a targeted resource available to the Commission to invest in counties that utilize funding in a way that effectively reduces recidivism, prison usage, and saves prison costs.”
- $2.5 million for shelter care for survivors of domestic violence (new investment)
- $200 million toward seismic preparedness for schools and emergency services buildings (new investment)
- $32 million in bonding for water grants for resilient water infrastructure (new investment)
- $15 million in bonding funds for security improvements at college/university campus facilities (new investment)
- $250,000 for grants to five local community hazard mitigation plans, with a focus on seismic risk and tsunami inundation areas (new investment)
- Maintaining Oregon State Police patrol troopers, investigator resources in the Major Crimes Unit, and $1.6 million for additional staff to address the backlog of unprocessed sexual assault forensic evidence kits
- $14 million in additional funds to the Department of Corrections, primarily attributable to open Oregon Penitentiary-Minimum as a second facility for women, but the Governor will be working to identify alternatives during the legislative session. The additional funding would also operate a behavioral health unit at the Oregon State Pentitentiary.
- $269 million in total funds for the Department of Corrections, Community Corrections division
- Funding the Young Women’s Transition Services and other rehabilitation programs through the Oregon Youth Authority
- Governor Brown will introduce legislation to reduce simple drug possession crimes from Class C felonies to Class A misdemeanors
General State Agency Budget Numbers:
- Department of Corrections: $1,771 million total funds (7 percent increase from the 2015-2017 legislatively approved budget)
- Criminal Justice Commission: $56 million total funds (11 percent decrease from 2015-2017)
- District Attorneys and their Deputies: $12.5 million general fund (5 percent increase from 2015-2017)
- Department of Justice: $611.9 million total funds (11 percent increase from 2015-2017)
- Oregon Military Department: $424.4 million total funds (2 percent decrease from 2015-2017) including $261.5 million total funds for Office of Emergency Management
- Oregon Youth Authority: $416 million total funds (4 percent increase from 2015-2017)
- Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision: $9.1 million total funds (13 percent increase from 2015-2017)
- Department of State Police: $414.8 million total funds (1 percent increase from 2015-2017)
- Department of Public Safety Standards and Training $61.1 million total funds (5 percent increase from 2015-2017)
Documents:
- One-Page Highlights: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzMvBq_LbaUUTTM5T1FyU191eFk/view
- Budget Summary: http://www.oregon.gov/newsroom/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?newsid=1459
- Full Budget: http://www.oregon.gov/das/Financial/Documents/2017-19_gb.pdf
Contributed by: Patrick Sieng | AOC Public Safety Policy Manager