How come Oregon doesn have chain gangs?
Chain gangs do nothing to contribute to the department’s efforts to mold citizens out of criminals. We have learned that what works in corrections is a sound, consistent policy of preserving public safety by reducing an offender’s risk of criminal conduct. That mission can be achieved by restructuring the way inmates think, educating them, and teaching them job skills and tools that will allow them to succeed on the outside. The voters affirmed and strengthened this philosophy in their overwhelming support of the Prison Reform and Inmate Work Act of 1994 (Measure 17) which requires virtually all state inmates to be engaged in work or job training. All institutions in the department will be providing work related services to Oregon’s citizens in a variety of ways. Citizens will profit and inmates will learn valuable skills to meet their future needs.
