The proponents of so-called "smart on crime" policy (translation: get as many criminals as possible out of prison and on the street) frequently proclaim:

Oregon spends more of its general fund dollars on corrections than any other state in the country.

Their source for this is a study from the anti-incarceration organization named the Pew Center on the States (1).

Here is another statement from Crime Victims United:

Oregon ranks 30th among states in incarceration rate.

Our source is the Bureau of Justice Statistics "Prisoners in 2008" report (2).

QUESTION

How is it possible for Oregon to rank first in corrections spending when we rank 30th in incarceration rate?

We challenge those who cite the Pew figure to answer this question.

References

1. Pew Report

2. Oregon's 30th ranking in incarceration rate comes from the Bureau of Justice Statistics "Prisoners in 2008", page 30, Appendix Table 10. Note Oregon's 2008 total incarceration rate of 371 prisoners per 100,000 residents on page 31. Now go back to the top of the table on page 30 and count the number of states with a higher incarceration rate. You will count 29 states with higher incarceration rates than Oregon.

Further Information

CVU Challenges Pew Report

The Contribution of Prisons to Public Safety

Measure 11 Statistics