Oregon Requires Terms Of Imprisonment Announced In Court Be Fully Served, Ballot Measure 74 (1999)

Oregon Ballot Measure 74 (1999) or House Joint Resolution (HJR) 94 is a legislatively-referred constitutional amendment that imposes a requirement that terms of imprisonment imposed by a judge in open court be fully served. The effect of this measure is to eliminate reductions in prison terms based on good conduct or other reasons unless:

1. The judge has specifically authorized the reduction;

2. The Governor grants a reprieve, commutation or pardon; or

3. A court has granted relief in an appeal of the case or in a post-conviction proceeding.

This measure also prohibits laws that would limit a court's authority to sentence a person consecutively for crimes committed against different victims.

Election results

This measure passed at the November 1999 Special Election.

Oregon Measure 74
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		368,899	53.16%
No		325,078	46.84%

Ballot title

HJR 94 - Amends Constitution: Requires Terms Of Imprisonment Announced In Court Be Fully Served, With Exceptions

Support

State representative Kevin Mannix sponsored the measure 74, it being a measure that came from his 1996 measure when it was divided in order to not violate the single-subject rule. The 1996 measure was thrown out after it had passed. In 1999, the same issues had another shot in a variety of measures for the special election. Mannix reminded the voters that the original measure had passed in 1996 and was thrown out due to a technicality, so he encouraged voters to make sure it got passed this time around.

Bob & Dee Dee Kouns of Crime Victims United supported the measure, saying, "The intent here is that the victim, the press and the public are entitled to know the reality of the imposed sentence rather than believing some announced number of months that may have little connection to what is actually served".

Supporters called the measure "truth in sentencing".

Opposition

Like many of the other measures proposed to reform the justice system in 1999, the opposition felt the measure had more to do with granting government more power than protecting victims of crime. They also point out that measure 74 would increase overcrowding in jails.

Stan Robson, a Benton County Sheriff, added that the measure "will strip us of valuable alternative sanctions that often fit the crime better than jail time."

See also

Suggest a link

• 1999 ballot measures
• List of Oregon ballot measures
• Oregon 1999 ballot measures
• Procedures for qualifying an initiative in Oregon
• Laws governing the initiative process in Oregon

External links

• Oregon Measure 74 Election Results
• Oregon Measure 74 Guide

References

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