Oregon Department of Corrections: Criminal Alien Report for the Americas September 2016

Data obtained from the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) indicated that on September 1, 2016 there were 955 foreign nationals (criminal aliens) incarcerated in the state's prison system.

Breaking the DOC criminal alien prison population down by a specific geographic region of the world, 844 of the prisoners self-declared countries of origin were located in the Americas: North, Central and South America and the West Indies (Excluding the United States of America and its territories):

- North America had 771 criminal aliens, 91.35 percent of the DOC prisoners from the Americas;

- Central America had 52 criminal aliens, 6.16 percent of the DOC prisoners from the Americas;

- South America had six criminal aliens, 0.71 percent of the DOC prisoners from the Americas;

- The West Indies had 16 criminal aliens, 1.89 percent of the DOC prisoners from the Americas.

The 844 prisoners in the DOC prison system from the Americas were 88.38 percent of the total criminal alien prison population.

Some background information, all criminal aliens incarcerated in the DOC prison system were identified by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a federal law enforcement agency that is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Once identified by ICE these criminal aliens had immigration detainers placed on them by immigration officials monitoring the state's prisons. After these criminal alien inmates have completed their state sanctions, prison officials will transfer custody of these inmates to ICE.

Using DOC ICE detainer numbers, the following table reveals the self-declared countries of origin of the 844 criminal alien prisoners from the Americas by number and percentage incarcerated on September 1st in the state's prisons.

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
Country DOC Total Inmates W/ ICE Detainers from the Americas DOC % Inmates W/ICE Detainers from the Americas
Mexico 766 90.76%
Guatemala 21 2.49%
Cuba 14 1.66%
El Salvador 14 1.66%
Honduras 10 1.18%
Canada 5 0.59%
Costa Rica 3 0.36%
Ecuador 3 0.36%
Peru 3 0.36%
Nicaragua 2 0.24%
Belize 1 0.12%
Jamaica 1 0.12%
Panama 1 0.12%
Total 844 100.00%
Source: Research and Evaluation DOC Report ICE inmates list 01 September 16.

The preceding table reveals that criminal aliens from thirteen countries located in the Americas were incarcerated in the DOC prison system. Mexico with 766 prisoners equated to 90.76 percent of the criminal aliens from the Americas incarcerated in the state's prisons.

Here are the ways Oregon residents were victimized by the 844 criminal aliens from the Americas.

Using DOC ICE detainer numbers, the following table reveals the number and percentage of criminal alien prisoners from the Americas incarcerated on September 1st by type of crime.

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
Crime DOC Total Inmates W/ ICE Detainers from the Americas DOC % Inmates W/ICE Detainers from the Americas
Sex Abuse 170 20.14%
Rape 156 18.48%
Homicide 120 14.22%
Drugs 99 11.73%
Sodomy 84 9.95%
Assault 71 8.41%
Robbery 40 4.74%
Kidnapping 24 2.84%
Theft 14 1.66%
Burglary 12 1.42%
Driving Offense 6 0.71%
Vehicle Theft 3 0.36%
Arson 0 0.00%
Forgery 0 0.00%
Escape 0 0.00%
Other / Combination 45 5.33%
Total 844 100.00%
Source: Research and Evaluation DOC Report ICE inmates list 01 September 16.

The preceding table reveals that 410 criminal aliens (48.58 percent) of those DOC prisoners from the Americas were incarcerated for three types of sex crimes: sex abuse, rape and sodomy.

Using DOC ICE detainer numbers, the following table reveals the number and percentage of criminal alien prisoners from the Americas incarcerated on September 1st that were sent to prison from the state's 36 counties.

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
County DOC Total Inmates W/ ICE Detainers from the Americas DOC % Inmates W/ICE Detainers from the Americas
Marion 216 25.59%
Multnomah 163 19.31%
Washington 160 18.96%
Clackamas 66 7.82%
Lane 43 5.09%
Jackson 32 3.79%
Yamhill 22 2.61%
Umatilla 20 2.37%
Linn 16 1.90%
Benton 12 1.42%
Klamath 12 1.42%
Polk 12 1.42%
Malheur 12 1.42%
Lincoln 9 1.07%
Deschutes 8 0.95%
Jefferson 6 0.71%
Coos 5 0.59%
Josephine 5 0.59%
Douglas 4 0.47%
Morrow 4 0.47%
Clatsop 3 0.36%
Crook 3 0.36%
Tillamook 3 0.36%
Wasco 3 0.36%
Hood River 2 0.24%
Gilliam 1 0.12%
Lake 1 0.12%
Union 1 0.12%
Baker 0 0.00%
Columbia 0 0.00%
Curry 0 0.00%
Grant 0 0.00%
Harney 0 0.00%
Sherman 0 0.00%
Wallowa 0 0.00%
Wheeler 0 0.00%
Total 844 100.00%
Source: Research and Evaluation DOC Report ICE inmates list 01 September 16.

Twenty- eight Oregon counties had at least one criminal alien from the Americas incarcerated in DOC prisons. Five of the state's counties, Marion, Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas and Lane, had 648 prisoners (76.78 percent) of the criminal aliens from the Americas incarcerated in the state's prisons.

Beyond the DOC criminal alien incarceration numbers and percentages by countries of origin, by crime types or by the state's counties, criminal aliens from the Americas pose high economic cost on Oregon tax payers.

An individual prisoner incarcerated in the DOC prison system costs the state approximately ($94.55) per day.

The DOC's incarceration cost for its 844 criminal alien prison population from the Americas is approximately ($79,800.20) per day, ($558,601.40) per week, and ($29,127,073.00) per year.

Even taking into account fiscal year 2015 U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice, State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) award of $1,602,510.00, if the State of Oregon receives the same amount of SCAAP funding for fiscal year 2016, the cost to incarcerate 844 criminal aliens to the DOC will be at least ($27,524,563.00).

None of preceding cost estimates for the DOC to incarcerate the 844 criminal aliens includes the dollar amount for legal services (indigent defense), language interpreters, court costs, or victim assistance.

Bibliography

Oregon Department of Corrections Population Profile (unpublished MS Excel workbook) titled Incarcerated Criminal Aliens Report dated September 1, 2016.

Oregon Department of Corrections Issue Brief Quick Facts 53-DOC/GECO: 3/23/16:
http://www.oregon.gov/doc/OC/docs/pdf/IB-53-Quick%20Facts.pdf

U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance, State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), 2015 SCAAP award: https://www.bja.gov/funding/FY-2015-SCAAP-Awards.pdf

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David Olen Cross of Salem writes on immigration issues and foreign national crime. He is a weekly guest on the Lars Larson Northwest Show. He can be reached at docfnc@yahoo.com or at http://docfnc.wordpress.com/

http://blog.oregonlive.com/myoregon/2016/09/oregon_department_of_correctio_4.html