About

Public Plea is a collaborative project led by Professor Ed Madison and produced by alumni and students at the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication. In the second half of 2020, the team set out to tell the story of Oregon’s Measure 11 mandatory minimum sentencing bill. In November of 1994, voters approved the legislation—which established sentencing standards for violent criminal offenders.

Since that time, the research surrounding criminal justice has evolved in accordance with changing views on reform and rehabilitation. Senate Bill 1008—approved in the 2019 Oregon Legislative Session—allowed for more judicial and legislative discretion in determining the sentencing of juvenile offenders. For those already sentenced, however, the bill did not apply retroactively.

To further understand the complex evolution of Measure 11, The Public Plea Team has interviewed lawyers, politicians, scholars, criminal justice experts, the convicted and their families to bring stories from all viewpoints to light. Our hope is that the work we do helps Oregonians better understand Measure 11 - its repercussions, reverberations and lasting impact on the state’s political landscape.