Is Jail a Fair Punishment for Skipping Bus Fare?

Governing

By Alan Greenblatt

May 2017

Residents of color in Portland, Oregon are disproportionately charged with “Interfering with Public Transportation” violations – a charge on par with drunk driving and domestic violence.

“I don’t think going for a conviction over repeated fare evasion is in the best interest of justice, as an issue of both equity and fairness,” says Brian Renauer, a criminologist at Portland State University.

 

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