Press Release: SB 1510 passed!
Partnership for Safety & Justice
March 3, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contact: Talia Gad, Partnership for Safety & Justice, 971-409-5748
Public safety reform bill SB 1510 passes; the new law will limit traffic stops, reform post-prison supervision, invest in culturally specific services
Salem, Ore. — Critical public safety justice reform legislation passed today out of the Oregon Legislature. SB 1510 will change how traffic stops are made, remove barriers for people on post-prison supervision, and allocate public safety dollars for culturally specific and responsive services.
Known as Transforming Justice 2022, the new law will:
Reduce racial disparities in traffic stops by making a broken headlight, taillight, brake light, or license plate light a “secondary offense,” meaning that an officer can issue a citation only if a driver is pulled over for something else; it will also require law enforcement to notify drivers of their right to refuse to consent to a search.
Remove barriers to success for people on probation and parole with a rulemaking process that can prevent, in some instances, parole and probation officers from visiting the people they supervise at work. The rules will also cover when certain people on supervision can report remotely
Create the Justice Reinvestment Equity Program to fund housing, treatment, and other services to help address racial disparities prevalent in Oregon’s criminal justice system and to reduce prison use
Oregon state data shows that racial disparities have persisted in traffic stops as recently as 2021.
More policy details and endorsing organizations are available on the bill’s one-pager at safetyandjustice.org/2022legislation.
The proposal was a policy recommendation following a workgroup led by Senator Floyd Prozanski, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The workgroup included several state agencies, representatives from Oregon’s law enforcement communities, and members of the Transforming Justice Coalition, a group of racial justice advocates including some who have been impacted by the criminal justice system.
Senator Floyd Prozanski, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair
“Oregon has a track record of passing meaningful criminal justice reforms that ensure public safety, and SB 1510 is another example of that. These policies were developed by a group that included both community partners and public safety stakeholders, and that’s a process that we can be proud of. These reforms are reasonable and consistent with the direction of what public safety should look like, with policies that eliminate unnecessary interactions and allow law enforcement to focus on more urgent public safety concerns.”
Representative Janelle Bynum, House Judiciary Committee Chair
“I wish this work wasn’t necessary, but we need to unite and make our communities safe for all Oregonians. SB 1510 is a critical step in moving Oregon forward as we address our challenges head on.”
Babak Zolfaghari-Azar, Senior Policy Manager, Partnership for Safety & Justice
“Unnecessary traffic stops changed the trajectory of my life, and this new law will mean that fewer Oregonians will have those concerns. We have all the data we need to know that systemic racism is embedded into our system, and that’s a problem that can only be addressed when we center the voices and experiences of those impacted by the criminal justice system. That is how we worked to pass SB 1510, and it’s a great example of what inclusive policy making can look like.”
Trish Jordan, Executive Director of Red Lodge Transition Services
“As someone who runs a culturally specific organization for Native American women, I know how much culture matters in healing and recovery. Our organizations have largely been excluded from funding opportunities until now. Who we are is encoded in our DNA. Native Americans have assimilated, but we will never give up our connection to our Ancestors and cultural practices. We know how our community hurts and what it takes to heal. This funding will make a difference.”
Billy Anfield, Flip the Script Program at Central City Concern
“Parole and probation supervision should work to connect individuals to resources, not be a shadow looking for a person to fail. The word vision implies helping individuals find their path for success and celebrate achievements. SB 1510 brings us closer to that. This is an important law, especially for Black women and men who are twice as likely to be under supervision than white people.”
Partnership for Safety & Justice is Oregon’s leading public safety and criminal justice policy reform organization. For over 22 years, our work has advanced state and local solutions that ensure accountability, equity, and healing for people convicted of crime, crime survivors, and the families and communities of both.
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