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State seeks public input on Oregon's first cyanide-processed gold mining operation Featured News by Oregon Today News
State seeks public input on Oregon's first cyanide-processed gold mining operation
The public has until Feb 6 to comment on the proposed Grassy Mountain Gold and Silver Mine... More

12/09/2025

The Systemic Criminalization of Mental Illness in Oregon Article by: Commissioner Drew Farmer I want to be clear as I go into this article, which will be critical, that my critiques are not of the line staff, not of the medical professionals, and no one between the ranks of CNA to Doctor. These folks strive every day to make do in a broken system. My critiques are of leadership, and some of those being across multiple administrations given the length of Oregon’s ongoing mental health crisis. The issues at hand belong to persons of higher decision making authority, to exactly which level down from the governor I do not know. But, without the acknowledgement of what’s broken we will struggle to repair it. I believe there is a component of policy within Oregon’s mental health system where the deferment of liabilities is overtaking humane policy. Running numbers on easily available public data, I am inclined to believe that the state has taken efforts systemically and over time to push the mentally ill into the criminal justice system due to it being cheaper to maintain and often a burden upon lower levels of government more so than upon the state. An article from OPB from 2025, “How Oregon’s laws on forcing mental health treatment could change this year”, reflects an average civil commitment bed cost of around $1,777.78 per day; by contrast, a DOC (Oregon Department of Corrections) fact sheet shows an AIC (Adult in Custody) cost of $173.88 per day. Running those numbers, a bed in prison versus in care saves the state around $1,603.90 per day per person. Of additional note, the cost to the state only applies under the criminal justice system if the individual commits a crime which yields a sentence exceeding one year. If the crime is sentenced at a year or less then the individual is lodged in county jail where the cost is fully borne by the local government. We can see that the state has a financial incentive to criminalize mental illness. We can also see where this backfires; as of the start of December, the Oregon State Hospital has paid roughly $1.4 million in contempt fines since June. This is due to a lack of capacity to process even those mentally ill who yet need to stand trial, placing the liability squarely back in the hands of the state. And that problem brings us to a key contention between the state and counties; the CFAA agreement. In this agreement, overflow from the state hospital will become the responsibility of counties. Despite the state’s insistence by officials that these fines cannot be passed onto counties due to a federal ruling, the other hand of the state is actively appealing that ruling so that it can pass fines along. Additionally, the new contract removes, “subject to availability of funds”. While the issue of the state criminalizing mental illness to avoid footing the bill for care is a long-standing one, we can see present leadership continuing efforts to do the same. Featured News by Coos County Sheriff
The Systemic Criminalization of Mental Illness in Oregon Article by: Commissioner Drew Farmer I want to be clear as I go into this article, which will be critical, that my critiques are not of the line staff, not of the medical professionals, and no one between the ranks of CNA to Doctor. These folks strive every day to make do in a broken system. My critiques are of leadership, and some of those being across multiple administrations given the length of Oregon’s ongoing mental health crisis. The issues at hand belong to persons of higher decision making authority, to exactly which level down from the governor I do not know. But, without the acknowledgement of what’s broken we will struggle to repair it. I believe there is a component of policy within Oregon’s mental health system where the deferment of liabilities is overtaking humane policy. Running numbers on easily available public data, I am inclined to believe that the state has taken efforts systemically and over time to push the mentally ill into the criminal justice system due to it being cheaper to maintain and often a burden upon lower levels of government more so than upon the state. An article from OPB from 2025, “How Oregon’s laws on forcing mental health treatment could change this year”, reflects an average civil commitment bed cost of around $1,777.78 per day; by contrast, a DOC (Oregon Department of Corrections) fact sheet shows an AIC (Adult in Custody) cost of $173.88 per day. Running those numbers, a bed in prison versus in care saves the state around $1,603.90 per day per person. Of additional note, the cost to the state only applies under the criminal justice system if the individual commits a crime which yields a sentence exceeding one year. If the crime is sentenced at a year or less then the individual is lodged in county jail where the cost is fully borne by the local government. We can see that the state has a financial incentive to criminalize mental illness. We can also see where this backfires; as of the start of December, the Oregon State Hospital has paid roughly $1.4 million in contempt fines since June. This is due to a lack of capacity to process even those mentally ill who yet need to stand trial, placing the liability squarely back in the hands of the state. And that problem brings us to a key contention between the state and counties; the CFAA agreement. In this agreement, overflow from the state hospital will become the responsibility of counties. Despite the state’s insistence by officials that these fines cannot be passed onto counties due to a federal ruling, the other hand of the state is actively appealing that ruling so that it can pass fines along. Additionally, the new contract removes, “subject to availability of funds”. While the issue of the state criminalizing mental illness to avoid footing the bill for care is a long-standing one, we can see present leadership continuing efforts to do the same.
The Systemic Criminalization of Mental Illness in Oregon Article by Commissioner Drew Fa... More

12/09/2025

Oregon reserve defensive back to enter transfer portal Featured News by Oregon Today News
Oregon reserve defensive back to enter transfer portal
A third Oregon defensive back intends to transfer More

12/09/2025

Pacific Northwest braces for more heavy rain, after powerful storm caused flooding, rescues Featured News by Oregon Today News
Pacific Northwest braces for more heavy rain, after powerful storm caused flooding, rescues
Pacific Northwest residents are bracing for another round of heavy rain after a powerful s... More

12/09/2025

Crash closes Hwy 38 west of Elkton; ODOT advises alternate routes or delaying travel Featured News by Oregon Today News
Crash closes Hwy 38 west of Elkton; ODOT advises alternate routes or delaying travel
Highway 38 is closed 14 miles west of Elkton due to a crash Oregon Dept of Transportation ... More

12/09/2025

Oregon ranks fourth in GoFundMe’s 2025 year of help report Featured News by Oregon Today News
Oregon ranks fourth in GoFundMe’s 2025 year of help report
New data from GoFundMes 2025 Year in Help report highlights Oregon as the fourth most gene... More

12/09/2025

Shooting in Southeast Portland leaves 1 man dead Featured News by Oregon Today News
Shooting in Southeast Portland leaves 1 man dead
Portland police closed Southeast 139th Avenue from Mill Street to Main Street for the homi... More

12/09/2025

Federal agents use pepper spray on crowd in Somali neighborhood of Minneapolis amid Trump crackdown Featured News by Oregon Today News
Federal agents use pepper spray on crowd in Somali neighborhood of Minneapolis amid Trump crackdown
Federal agents have used pepper spray to disperse a crowd in a heavily Somali neighborhood... More

12/09/2025

Mega Millions numbers: Are you the lucky winner of Tuesday’s $60 million jackpot? Featured News by Oregon Today News
Mega Millions numbers: Are you the lucky winner of Tuesday’s $60 million jackpot?
Are you tonights lucky winner Grab your tickets and check your numbers The Mega Millions l... More

12/09/2025

Pope criticizes US bid to 'break apart' US-Europe alliance, insists on Europe role in Ukraine peace Featured News by Oregon Today News
Pope criticizes US bid to 'break apart' US-Europe alliance, insists on Europe role in Ukraine peace
Pope Leo XIV is insisting that Europe must have a role in any Ukraine peace deal and criti... More

12/09/2025

Senate heads toward dueling partisan votes on health care, with each likely to fail Featured News by Oregon Today News
Senate heads toward dueling partisan votes on health care, with each likely to fail
Millions could see increases in their premium payments when tax credits expire in January ... More

12/09/2025

Trump once denied using this slur about Haiti and African nations. Now he boasts about it Featured News by Oregon Today News
Trump once denied using this slur about Haiti and African nations. Now he boasts about it
President Donald Trump admits he used the slur shithole countries during a private 2018 me... More

12/09/2025

Bird Alliance of Oregon Celebrates 100th Annual Christmas Bird Count Featured News by Oregon Today News
Bird Alliance of Oregon Celebrates 100th Annual Christmas Bird Count
Portland-area birdersmany of them working from homehave created one of the largest avian d... More

12/09/2025

High school students hold walkout protest against immigration enforcement in Oregon Featured News by Oregon Today News
High school students hold walkout protest against immigration enforcement in Oregon
Students at several high schools held a walkout protest against immigration enforcement in... More

12/09/2025

Fundraiser event for Portland barista, the victim of a car break-in, targeted by thief Featured News by Oregon Today News
Fundraiser event for Portland barista, the victim of a car break-in, targeted by thief
A Northwest Portland coffee shop was holding a fundraiser for an employee whod been a vict... More

12/09/2025

‘Better safe than sorry’: Livestock evacuations increase as rivers rise in Snohomish County Featured News by Oregon Today News
‘Better safe than sorry’: Livestock evacuations increase as rivers rise in Snohomish County
More than 40 horses and 40 cattle sheltered at fairgrounds as families flee flooding dange... More

12/09/2025

Grammy-nominated singer stabbed to death, son arrested Featured News by Oregon Today News
Grammy-nominated singer stabbed to death, son arrested
Renowned opera singer Jubilant Sykes known for his baritone voice received a nomination fo... More

12/09/2025

Police investigating report of AI-generated explicit images that prompted walkout at Corbett High School Featured News by Oregon Today News
Police investigating report of AI-generated explicit images that prompted walkout at Corbett High School
Students at Corbett High School staged a walkout on Tuesday alleging that school administr... More

12/09/2025

Portland police searching for missing 89-year-old man who did not return to pick up wife from shopping center Featured News by Oregon Today News
Portland police searching for missing 89-year-old man who did not return to pick up wife from shopping center
James Moore was reported missing after he dropped his wife off at Jantzen Beach Center but... More

12/09/2025

Democrat wins Miami mayor’s race for the first time in nearly 30 years Featured News by Oregon Today News
Democrat wins Miami mayor’s race for the first time in nearly 30 years
MIAMI AP Democrat Eileen Higgins won the Miami mayors race on Tuesday defeating a Republi... More

12/09/2025

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