Despite the legislature giving the Board of Parole a three-year window in 2013 to classify every offender, 10 years later, thousands remain without a classification level.
This means the state is not able to assess its risk of committing another offense. The propensity to re-offend is based on a 1-3 scale that needs to be assigned to a previous offender.
March 23, 2023
The Parole Board's executive director stated that they have kept up with classifying all offenders designated as predatory or sexually dangerous, as well as those released from prison or who move into the state. However, it would take over 10 years to clear the 20,825 unclassified offenders as of last July due to the Board's current staffing.
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State Senator Cedric Hayden voted three times against extending the deadline in prior sessions. He urged Oregonians to contact their lawmakers and express the importance of addressing this backlog.
Governor Tina Kotek's office also issued a statement, stating the Governor is "frustrated" and "believes that Oregonians should be safe and feel safe." She is committed to ensuring accountability for those who commit harm in our communities and has requested that the Board reevaluate its needs for fulfilling its obligation to classify all sex offenders.
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