Criminal Aliens in OR State Prisons, Feb. 1, 2012

According to the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) Inmate Population Profile dated February 1, 2012 DOC indicated there were 13,999 prisoners incarcerated in DOC’s 14 prisons.

Not included in DOC’s February 1st Inmate Population Profile was DOC data indicating there were 1,176 foreign nationals (criminal aliens) incarcerated in its prison system.

All 1,176 criminal aliens incarcerated on February 1st by DOC had United States (U.S.) Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), detainers. The U.S. DHS–ICE is responsible for indentifying whether a DOC inmate is a criminal alien or a domestic inmate. If an inmate is identified as being a criminal alien, at U.S. DHS–ICE’s request, the DOC places an “ICE detainer” on the inmate that directs DOC officials to transfer custody to ICE following completion of the inmate’s state sanction.

Criminal aliens made up approximately 8.40% of the DOC February 1st prison population (See table).
 

Source: Research and Evaluation DOC Unit-ICE inmates lists 01 FEBRUARY 08rtf – 01 FEBRUARY 12.rtf and Inmate Population Profile 01 FEBRUARY 08 – 01 FEBRUARY 12.

Comparing DOC criminal alien incarceration numbers from February 1, 2008 (1,054 criminal aliens) and February 1, 2012 (1,176 criminal aliens), the DOC prison system incarcerated 122 criminal aliens more than it did on February 1, 2008, a 11.57% increase (See table).
 

Source: Research and Evaluation DOC Unit-ICE inmates lists 01 FEBRUARY 08rtf – 01 FEBRUARY 12.rtf and Inmate Population Profile 01 FEBRUARY 08 – 01 FEBRUARY 12.
 

When comparing DOC domestic criminal incarceration numbers from February 1, 2008 (12,478 domestic criminals) and February 1, 2012 (12,823 domestic criminals), the DOC prison system incarcerated 345 domestic criminals more than it did on February 1, 2008, a 2.76%% increase (See table).
 

Source: Research and Evaluation DOC Unit-ICE inmates lists 01 FEBRUARY 08rtf – 01 FEBRUARY 12.rtf and Inmate Population Profile 01 FEBRUARY 08 – 01 FEBRUARY 12.

A review of the 1,176 criminal aliens in DOC prisons by number per county and percentage (%) per county equated to the following: 0-Baker (0.00%), 10-Benton (0.85%), 82-Clackamas (6.97%), 9-Clatsop (0.76%), 1-Columbia (0.08%), 7-Coos (0.59%), 3-Crook (0.25%), 1-Curry (0.08%), 16-Deschutes (1.36%), 5-Douglas (0.42%), 1-Gilliam (0.08%), 1-Grant (0.08%), 2-Harney (0.17%), 5-Hood River (0.42%), 53-Jackson (4.51%), 14-Jefferson (1.19%), 10-Josephine (0.85%), 10-Klamath (0.85%), 0-Lake (0.00), 62-Lane (5.27%), 8-Lincoln (0.68%), 26-Linn (2.21%), 14-Malheur (1.19%), 256-Marion (21.76%), 6-Morrow (0.51%), 267-Multnomah (22.70%), 1-OOS (0.08%), 21-Polk (1.78%), 0-Sherman (0.00%), 3-Tillamook (0.25%), 22-Umatilla (1.87%), 1-Union (0.08), 0-Wallowa (0.00%), 5-Wasco (0.42%), 220-Washington (18.71%), 0-Wheeler (0.00%), and 34-Yamhill (2.89%).

No member of the Oregon State Legislature should forget the uncounted crime victims and their families, no matter what their immigration status, all victims of the 1,176 criminal aliens incarcerated in DOC prisons.

A review of the 1,176 criminal aliens in the DOC prison population by numbers per crime and percentage (%) per crime equated to the following: 4-arsons (0.34%), 121-assaults (10.29%), 33-burglaries (2.81%), 34-driving offenses (2.89%), 178-drugs (15.14%), 5-forgeries (0.42%), 142-homicides (12.07%), 49-kidnappings (4.17%), 68-others (5.78%), 169-rapes (14.37%), 75-robberies (6.38%), 206-sex abuses (17.52%), 77-sodomies (6.55%), 11-thefts (0.93%), and 4-vehicle thefts (0.34%).

Oregon State Legislators should not overlook the source of the preceding crimes, the country of origin of the 1,176 criminal aliens in DOC prisons.

The self-declared counties of origin of the 1,176 criminal aliens in the DOC prison population by numbers and percentage (%) per country equated to the following: 9-Canada (0.76%), 10-Cuba (0.85%), 13-El Salvador (1.10%), 31-Guatemala (2.63%), 13-Honduras (1.10%), 7-Laos (0.59%), 992-Mexico (84.35%), 68-others (5.78%), 6-Russia (0.51%), 12-Ukraine (1.02%), and 15-Vietnam (1.27%).

Beyond the DOC criminal alien incarceration numbers and incarceration percentages, per county and per crime type, or even country of origin, criminal aliens pose high economic cost on Oregonians.

An individual prisoner in the DOC prison system costs approximately $82.48 per day to incarcerate .  http://www.oregon.gov/DOC/PUBAFF/docs/pdf/IB_53_quick_facts.pdf

The DOC’s incarceration cost for its 1,176 criminal alien prison population is approximately ($96,996.48) per day, ($678,975.36) per week, and ($35,403,715.20) per year.

Even taking into account fiscal year 2011 United States Federal Government State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) award of $2,669,738.00 if the State of Oregon receives the same amount of SCAAP funding for fiscal year 2012, the cost to incarcerate 1,176 criminal aliens to the DOC will be at least ($32,733,977.20) 
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/11SCAAPAwards.pdf

None of the preceding cost estimates for the DOC to incarcerate the 1,176 criminal aliens include the dollar amount for legal services (indigent defense), court costs, nor cost estimates to cover victim assistance.

An unfortunate fact, the State of Oregon is not fully cooperating with the U.S. DHS–ICE to fight crime committed by criminal aliens who reside in Oregon.

In year 2007, a United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) report titled “Cooperation of SCAAP (State Criminal Alien Assistance Program) Recipients in the Removal of Criminal Aliens from the United States, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General Audit Division, Audit Report 07-07, February 2007, Redacted-Public Version” identified the State of Oregon as having an official “state sanctuary statute,” ORS 181.850 Enforcement of federal immigration laws.    http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/reports/OJP/a0707/final.pdf

The USDOJ, the federal governments top law enforcement agency, identified Oregon as a “sanctuary” for criminal aliens.

An Oregon law, Oregon Revised Statue 181.850 (ORS 181.850), Section (1), prohibits Oregon law enforcement (Oregon State Police (OSP), county sheriffs, city police departments) from asking immigration status of anyone residing in the State of Oregon “for the purpose of detecting or apprehending persons whose only violation of law is that they are persons of foreign citizenship present in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws.” Under ORS 181.850, Section (2), Oregon law enforcement February  exchange information with U.S. DHS–ICE . . . “in order to: Subsection (a), “Verify the immigration status of a person if the person is arrested for any criminal offense;” or, Subsection (b), “Request criminal investigation information with reference to persons named in records of the” U.S. DHS–ICE . . . ”                     
http://www.leg.state.or.us/ors/181.html

The next Oregon State Legislature legislative session should pass legislation like House Bill 2803 (HB 2803) offered during the 2011 legislative session that will rewrite ORS 181.850 to untie the hands of Oregon law enforcement, OSP, county sheriffs, and city police departments, from helping U.S. DHS–ICE fight crime committed by criminal aliens who reside in Oregon.
http://www.leg.state.or.us/11reg/measpdf/hb2800.dir/hb2803.intro.pdf

The State of Oregon should no longer be classified by U.S. federal government law enforcement as having an official “state sanctuary statute” for criminal aliens, nor should Oregon be a sanctuary for criminal aliens to kill, rape, or maim Oregonians.

Voters should contact their Oregon State Senator and Representative and ask them to reintroduce, support, and pass legislation like HB 2803 in the next Oregon State Legislature legislative session.

-- This report was compiled by David Olen Cross.