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Total Items 60388

WBC Forum, Dec. 10 Featured News by JC News
The Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Wednesday Business Connection WBC Forum takes place at 11... More

12/10/2025

MHS Winter Band Concert, Dec. 10 Featured News by JC News
A Winter Band Concert will be held inside the Marshfield Auditorium tonight Wednesday Dec ... More

12/10/2025

Quake, Dec. 10 Featured News by JC News
A large earthquake was recorded off the Central Oregon Coast Tuesday Dec 9 2025nbsp Accord... More

12/10/2025

Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission, Dec. 10 Featured News by JC News
Charleston Fishing Families release - December 7 at 458PMnbsp Hello there Fishermen and Fi... More

12/10/2025

Dense fog advisory affecting Baker County until Wednesday morning – visibility limited to 1/4 mile Featured News by Oregon Today News
A dense fog advisory was issued by the National Weather Service on Wednesday at 505 am val... More

12/10/2025

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado will miss Nobel Peace Prize ceremony Featured News by Oregon Today News
Nobel Institute director Kristian Berg Harpviken told public broadcaster NRK the Venezuela... More

12/10/2025

Hunger in Oregon: Lane County's Food Bank on the challenges of hunger Featured News by Oregon Today News
On this edition we talk with Carolyn Stein Executive Director of Food For Lane County The ... More

12/10/2025

Oregon lawmakers may revisit liability waivers, raising concerns for ski resorts Featured News by Oregon Today News
A slow start to the ski season across Southern Oregon from Mount Ashland to Willamette Pas... More

12/10/2025

A Year After Talks Failed, Providence Oregon Strikes Deal With Big Insurer Featured News by Oregon Today News
Tens of thousands of Aetna members in Oregon will have easier cheaper access to Providence... More

12/10/2025

Dear Abby: I hate my narcissistic husband, but at 67, is it too late for me to start over? Featured News by Oregon Today News
DEAR ABBY Ive been married to a narcissist for 28 years He has gaslighted me for our entir... More

12/10/2025

Asking Eric: Readers share creative ‘We got divorced’ holiday card ideas Featured News by Oregon Today News
Dear Readers On November 9 I answered a letter from someone who was trying to find a way t... More

12/10/2025

State seeks public input on Oregon's first cyanide-processed gold mining operation Featured News by Oregon Today News
The public has until Feb 6 to comment on the proposed Grassy Mountain Gold and Silver Mine... More

12/09/2025

Metro flooding triggers evacuations, road closures: 'It just poured' Featured News by Oregon Today News
From campgrounds to neighborhoods rising waters caused flooding and headaches across the m... More

12/09/2025

The Systemic Criminalization of Mental Illness in Oregon   
  
Article by: Commissioner Drew Farmer  
  
I want to be clear as I go into this article, which will be critical, that my critiques are not of the line staff, not of the medical professionals, and no one between the ranks of CNA to Doctor. These folks strive every day to make do in a broken system. My critiques are of leadership, and some of those being across multiple administrations given the length of Oregon’s ongoing mental health crisis. The issues at hand belong to persons of higher decision making authority, to exactly which level down from the governor I do not know. But, without the acknowledgement of what’s broken we will struggle to repair it.   
  
I believe there is a component of policy within Oregon’s mental health system where the deferment of liabilities is overtaking humane policy. Running numbers on easily available public data, I am inclined to believe that the state has taken efforts systemically and over time to push the mentally ill into the criminal justice system due to it being cheaper to maintain and often a burden upon lower levels of government more so than upon the state. An article from OPB from 2025, “How Oregon’s laws on forcing mental health treatment could change this year”, reflects an average civil commitment bed cost of around $1,777.78 per day; by contrast, a DOC (Oregon Department of Corrections) fact sheet shows an AIC (Adult in Custody) cost of $173.88 per day. Running those numbers, a bed in prison versus in care saves the state around $1,603.90 per day per person. Of additional note, the cost to the state only applies under the criminal justice system if the individual commits a crime which yields a sentence exceeding one year. If the crime is sentenced at a year or less then the individual is lodged in county jail where the cost is fully borne by the local government.   
  
We can see that the state has a financial incentive to criminalize mental illness. We can also see where this backfires; as of the start of December, the Oregon State Hospital has paid roughly $1.4 million in contempt fines since June. This is due to a lack of capacity to process even those mentally ill who yet need to stand trial, placing the liability squarely back in the hands of the state. And that problem brings us to a key contention between the state and counties; the CFAA agreement. In this agreement, overflow from the state hospital will become the responsibility of counties. Despite the state’s insistence by officials that these fines cannot be passed onto counties due to a federal ruling, the other hand of the state is actively appealing that ruling so that it can pass fines along. Additionally, the new contract removes, “subject to availability of funds”.   
  
While the issue of the state criminalizing mental illness to avoid footing the bill for care is a long-standing one, we can see present leadership continuing efforts to do the same. Featured News by Coos County Sheriff
The Systemic Criminalization of Mental Illness in Oregon Article by: Commissioner Drew Farmer I want to be clear as I go into this article, which will be critical, that my critiques are not of the line staff, not of the medical professionals, and no one between the ranks of CNA to Doctor. These folks strive every day to make do in a broken system. My critiques are of leadership, and some of those being across multiple administrations given the length of Oregon’s ongoing mental health crisis. The issues at hand belong to persons of higher decision making authority, to exactly which level down from the governor I do not know. But, without the acknowledgement of what’s broken we will struggle to repair it. I believe there is a component of policy within Oregon’s mental health system where the deferment of liabilities is overtaking humane policy. Running numbers on easily available public data, I am inclined to believe that the state has taken efforts systemically and over time to push the mentally ill into the criminal justice system due to it being cheaper to maintain and often a burden upon lower levels of government more so than upon the state. An article from OPB from 2025, “How Oregon’s laws on forcing mental health treatment could change this year”, reflects an average civil commitment bed cost of around $1,777.78 per day; by contrast, a DOC (Oregon Department of Corrections) fact sheet shows an AIC (Adult in Custody) cost of $173.88 per day. Running those numbers, a bed in prison versus in care saves the state around $1,603.90 per day per person. Of additional note, the cost to the state only applies under the criminal justice system if the individual commits a crime which yields a sentence exceeding one year. If the crime is sentenced at a year or less then the individual is lodged in county jail where the cost is fully borne by the local government. We can see that the state has a financial incentive to criminalize mental illness. We can also see where this backfires; as of the start of December, the Oregon State Hospital has paid roughly $1.4 million in contempt fines since June. This is due to a lack of capacity to process even those mentally ill who yet need to stand trial, placing the liability squarely back in the hands of the state. And that problem brings us to a key contention between the state and counties; the CFAA agreement. In this agreement, overflow from the state hospital will become the responsibility of counties. Despite the state’s insistence by officials that these fines cannot be passed onto counties due to a federal ruling, the other hand of the state is actively appealing that ruling so that it can pass fines along. Additionally, the new contract removes, “subject to availability of funds”. While the issue of the state criminalizing mental illness to avoid footing the bill for care is a long-standing one, we can see present leadership continuing efforts to do the same.
The Systemic Criminalization of Mental Illness in Oregon Article by Commissioner Drew Fa... More

12/09/2025

Oregon reserve defensive back to enter transfer portal Featured News by Oregon Today News
A third Oregon defensive back intends to transfer More

12/09/2025

Pacific Northwest braces for more heavy rain, after powerful storm caused flooding, rescues Featured News by Oregon Today News
Pacific Northwest residents are bracing for another round of heavy rain after a powerful s... More

12/09/2025

Oregon ranks fourth in GoFundMe’s 2025 year of help report Featured News by Oregon Today News
New data from GoFundMes 2025 Year in Help report highlights Oregon as the fourth most gene... More

12/09/2025

Crash closes Hwy 38 west of Elkton; ODOT advises alternate routes or delaying travel Featured News by Oregon Today News
Highway 38 is closed 14 miles west of Elkton due to a crash Oregon Dept of Transportation ... More

12/09/2025

Shooting in Southeast Portland leaves 1 man dead Featured News by Oregon Today News
Portland police closed Southeast 139th Avenue from Mill Street to Main Street for the homi... More

12/09/2025

Federal agents use pepper spray on crowd in Somali neighborhood of Minneapolis amid Trump crackdown Featured News by Oregon Today News
Federal agents have used pepper spray to disperse a crowd in a heavily Somali neighborhood... More

12/09/2025

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