The Cost of Mass Incarceration
Our current criminal justice system doesn't make us safer. It makes us poorer, breaks up families, and perpetuates cycles of harm. We spend billions on incarceration while ignoring the root causes of crime: poverty, lack of housing, untreated mental illness, and addiction. True public safety comes from strong communities, not overcrowded prisons.
Rabbi Fora will transform Oregon's justice system to focus on prevention, rehabilitation, and restoration by investing in communities rather than cages.
Abolish the Death Penalty
Oregon has had a moratorium on executions since 2011,[1] but people still sit on death row. The death penalty is irreversible, racially biased, and does not deter crime. It's time to end it permanently.
Why Abolition Matters
- Irreversible: Since 1973, more than 200 people have been exonerated from death row.[2] How many innocent people have we killed?
- Racially Biased: Black defendants are far more likely to receive death sentences, especially when victims are white.
- Expensive: Death penalty cases cost far more than life imprisonment, draining resources from prevention.
- No Deterrent: Studies consistently show the death penalty does not reduce violent crime.
Rabbi Fora will work with the legislature to permanently abolish Oregon's death penalty.
End Cash Bail
Cash bail creates a two-tiered justice system: rich people go home while poor people, who haven't been convicted of anything, rot in jail, lose their jobs, lose their housing, and lose their families.
Pretrial Release
Expand pretrial release programs that don't depend on ability to pay. Risk assessment, not wealth, should determine who goes home.
Speedy Trials
Invest in courts and public defenders to ensure cases are resolved quickly. No one should wait years for their day in court.
End Wealth-Based Detention
If someone is dangerous, no amount of money should buy their freedom. If they're not, poverty shouldn't keep them locked up.
Community Support
Invest in community-based support for people awaiting trial, including court date reminders, transportation, and childcare.
Transform Prisons
Prisons should prepare people to return to their communities as productive citizens, not as traumatized people more likely to reoffend. Oregon must fundamentally transform its approach to incarceration.
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End Private Prisons
No corporation should profit from incarceration. End contracts with private prison companies and bring corrections fully under public control.
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Education & Job Training
Expand educational programs, vocational training, and job placement services. People who leave prison with skills are far less likely to return.
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Mental Health Treatment
Prisons are not mental health facilities, but they've become Oregon's largest provider. Provide real treatment, not just warehousing.
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End Solitary Confinement
Prolonged solitary confinement is torture. We will go beyond the UN's Mandela Rules and limit SC to no more than 7 days and as a rare, last resort.
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Open Prisons Initiative
We will create a new facility modeled on "Open Prisons" found in Europe, the UK, and India. These prisons are remote, inaccessible by the public, and focus on rehabilitation for perpetrators of violent crimes.
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Family Connection
Make phone calls free and expand visitation. Family ties are the strongest predictor of successful reentry.
Restorative Justice
Not every harm requires a prison cell. Restorative justice brings together those who caused harm with those who experienced it, focusing on accountability, repair, and healing rather than punishment alone.
Expand Restorative Programs
Oregon already has successful restorative justice programs. Rabbi Fora will expand them statewide as alternatives to incarceration for appropriate offenses.
- Victim-offender mediation programs
- Community accountability circles
- Youth diversion programs
- Restitution and community service
Police Accountability
Communities need to trust law enforcement, and trust must be earned through transparency, accountability, and an end to qualified immunity protections that shield misconduct.
End Qualified Immunity
Support legislation to end qualified immunity so officers can be held personally accountable for misconduct.
Civilian Oversight
Strengthen civilian oversight boards with real investigatory and disciplinary power.
Statewide Misconduct Database
Prevent problem officers from simply moving to new departments. Track misconduct statewide.
Alternative Responders
Replicate programs like CAHOOTS across the state and expand the program by providing funding for additional mental health professionals instead of more armed police.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will ending cash bail let dangerous people walk free?
No. Cash bail doesn't keep dangerous people locked up. It lets them out if they're wealthy. Under bail reform, judges can still detain people who pose a genuine public safety risk. The difference is that someone's bank account won't determine whether they go home or lose their job waiting for trial.
Doesn't abolishing the death penalty let murderers off easy?
Life without parole is not "easy." It's spending every day until death in prison. The death penalty doesn't deter crime, costs more than life imprisonment, and risks executing innocent people. Abolition isn't about being soft on crime. It's about having a justice system we can trust.
Won't prison education programs just reward criminals?
These programs reward us with safer communities. Incarcerated people who participate in education are 43% less likely to reoffend. Every person who doesn't return to prison saves taxpayers money and means fewer crime victims. It's smart public safety policy.
Questions or Feedback?
Have questions about Rabbi Fora's criminal justice reform policy? Want to share your thoughts? We'd love to hear from you.
Build True Justice
A justice system that heals instead of harms. That prevents crime instead of just punishing it. Join the fight for reform.
Sources & Citations
- [1] Death Penalty Information Center. "Oregon." Governor John Kitzhaber declared a moratorium on executions on November 22, 2011. Available at: deathpenaltyinfo.org
- [2] Death Penalty Information Center. "Innocence." As of December 2025, 202 people have been exonerated from death row since 1973. Available at: deathpenaltyinfo.org
- [3] Oregon Department of Corrections / Vera Institute of Justice. "The Price of Prisons: Oregon." Incarceration cost analysis. Available at: vera.org
- [4] Prison Policy Initiative / Oregon Criminal Justice Commission. "Oregon Profile: Racial Disparities in Incarceration." Available at: prisonpolicy.org
- [5] White Bird Clinic. "CAHOOTS Annual Report." Eugene, Oregon crisis response program data. Available at: whitebirdclinic.org