School of Public Policy graduate Ian Davidson, facilitates a shift in criminal justice resource use from prison beds to reinvestment programs
Ian Davidson
By Emily Willis, CLA Student Writer - March 6, 2024
Ian Davidson, M.P.P. '14, manages the Justice Reinvestment Program (JRP) within the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission (CJC), which distributes funds to Oregon counties providing non-prison sentencing options for individuals who have committed a non-violent crime.
The purpose of the JRP is to provide funding for counties to plan, implement, and expand initiatives that, ultimately, reduce recidivism and state prison usage. The JRP is part of Oregon’s Justice Reinvestment Initiative, a proactive approach to effectively spend resources in the state’s criminal justice system to limit prison growth, whereby a portion of the avoided operational prison costs are reinvested in the state’s local public safety systems. JRP funds can go towards supporting treatment, peer mentors, housing supports, and paying for more personnel to help justice involved individuals. At least 10 percent of funds must be distributed to support community-based victim services programs, such as crisis counseling.
“Ask yourself,” suggested Davidson, “if somebody is arrested and charged with property crime or stealing something, is prison the best option for them? In some instances, maybe, but in most cases, it’s not. The JRP provides counties the resources to assess and discern other options, like keeping them under community supervision, which ultimately results in fewer individuals sent to prison.”
The JRP was created in 2013 and after 10 years, the reinvestment in Oregon counties as well as changes to state policy allowed the state to avoid building a new prison, as was projected prior to the start of JRP, and the closure of two state-operated prisons, resulting in over $600m in cost avoidance. The program was renewed in 2023 by the passage of Senate Bill 344. For the 2023 – 2025 biennium, CJC will distribute over $53 million to Oregon counties through JRP.
“People enter the criminal justice system for a myriad of reasons,” said Davidson. “If we can find proper, individualized solutions for people other than just sending them to prison, you’re going to see a lot of downstream effects. It’s a challenging task, but there is research and evidence out there to guide us. Programs like JRP are moving Oregon in the right direction, but there are strong headwinds. ”
Davidson attributed his time in the Master’s of Public Policy (MPP) program for giving him the tools to make impactful change through his professional and volunteer work.
“The master’s program taught me a new way of thinking and analyzing policy,” said Davidson. “It gave me a language I didn’t have before and opened doors that I was unaware existed.”
In addition to working for the CJC, Davidson is currently board vice president (and former president) for Cherriots, the Salem-area transit district. Appointed by the governor in 2019, Davidson and his colleagues have adopted a new strategic plan, reinstituted Saturday service, and, for the first time in the agency’s history, instituted Sunday, later weeknight, and holiday service. He hopes to further increase transit service in the years to come and is leading the planning effort as chair of the transit district’s Service Enhancement Committee.
Davidson recently worked with partners in the cities of Salem and Keizer, as well as Salem/Keizer Public Schools, to fund a pilot of free fares for youth. The new Youth Fare Program allows anyone 18 years of age or younger to ride Cherriots throughout Marion and Polk Counties for free, beginning at the start of the 2022–2023 school year. The first full month of the program saw an 89 percent year-over-year growth in youth ridership (October 2021 to October 2022). The pilot was such a success that it is now a permanent program. In October 2023, Cherriots saw over 95,000 youth rides, a 166 percent increase from October 2021. Each one of these rides represents a student being able to attend an after-school program, a parent being able to take their child on the bus to run errands, or a young person being able to get to their after-school job.
From his work at Cherriots or at CJC, Davidson credits the people who have supported him along the way for being able to craft effective policy today.
“There have been a lot of people that helped me through my career, especially early on and in the MPP program” said Davidson. “People took chances on me, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without my mentors and advisors, as well as peers from my cohort.”