Oregon Department of Corrections: Criminal Alien Report for the Americas September 2017
November 2, 2017
Data Compiled By David Olen Cross
Information obtained from the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) indicated that on September 1, 2017 there were 971 foreign nationals (criminal aliens) incarcerated in the state’s prison system.
Breaking the DOC criminal alien prison population down by a specific geographic region of the world, 856 of the prisoners self-declared countries of origin were located in the Americas: North, Central and South America and the West Indies (Excluding the United States of America and its territories):
– North America had 781 criminal aliens, 91.24 percent of the DOC prisoners from the Americas;
– Central America had 51 criminal aliens, 5.96 percent of the DOC prisoners from the Americas;
– South America had 17 criminal aliens, 1.99 percent of the DOC prisoners from the Americas;
– The West Indies had seven criminal aliens, 0.82 percent of the DOC prisoners from the Americas.
The 856 prisoners in the DOC prison system from the Americas were 88.16 percent of the total criminal alien prison population.
Some background information, all criminal aliens incarcerated in the DOC prison system were identified by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a federal law enforcement agency that is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Once identified by ICE these criminal aliens had immigration detainers placed on them by immigration officials monitoring the state’s prisons. After these criminal alien inmates have completed their state sanctions, prison officials will transfer custody of these inmates to ICE.
Using DOC ICE detainer numbers, the following table reveals the self-declared countries of origin of the 856 criminal alien prisoners from the Americas by number and percentage incarcerated on September 1st in the state’s prisons.
| OREGON DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS |
| Country |
DOC Total Inmates W/ICE Detainers by Self-Declared Country of Origin from the Americas |
DOC % Inmates W/ICE Detainers by Self-Declared Country of Origin from the Americas |
| Mexico |
778 |
90.89% |
| Guatemala |
17 |
1.99% |
| Cuba |
15 |
1.75% |
| El Salvador |
15 |
1.75% |
| Honduras |
13 |
1.52% |
| Peru |
4 |
0.47% |
| Canada |
3 |
0.35% |
| Costa Rica |
2 |
0.23% |
| Ecuador |
2 |
0.23% |
| Nicaragua |
2 |
0.23% |
| Belize |
1 |
0.12% |
| Jamaica |
1 |
0.12% |
| Panama |
1 |
0.12% |
| Trinidad & Tobago |
1 |
0.12% |
| Venezuela |
1 |
0.12% |
| Total |
856 |
100.00% |
Source: Research and Evaluation DOC Report ICE inmates list 01 September 17.
The preceding table reveals that criminal aliens from 15 countries located in the Americas were incarcerated in the DOC prison system. Mexico with 778 prisoners equated to 90.89 percent of the criminal aliens from the Americas incarcerated in the state’s prisons.
Here are the ways Oregon residents were victimized by the 856 criminal aliens from the Americas.
Using DOC ICE detainer numbers, the following table reveals the number and percentage of criminal alien prisoners from the Americas incarcerated on September 1st by type of crime.
| OREGON DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS |
| Crime |
Total Inmates W/ ICE Detainers by Type of Crime from the Americas |
DOC % Inmates W/ICE Detainers by Type of Crime from the Americas |
| Sex Abuse |
184 |
21.50% |
| Rape |
156 |
18.22% |
| Homicide |
121 |
14.14% |
| Drugs |
102 |
11.92% |
| Sodomy |
86 |
10.05% |
| Assault |
68 |
7.94% |
| Robbery |
34 |
3.97% |
| Kidnapping |
20 |
2.34% |
| Burglary |
14 |
1.64% |
| Theft |
12 |
1.40% |
| Driving Offense |
6 |
0.70% |
| Vehicle Theft |
1 |
0.12% |
| Arson |
0 |
0.00% |
| Escape |
0 |
0.00% |
| Forgery |
0 |
0.00% |
| Other / Combination Crimes |
52 |
6.07% |
| Total |
856 |
100.00% |
Source: Research and Evaluation DOC Report ICE inmates list 01 September 17.
The preceding table reveals that 426 criminal aliens (49.77 percent) of those DOC prisoners from the Americas were incarcerated for three types of sex crimes: sex abuse, rape and sodomy.
Using DOC ICE detainer numbers, the following table reveals the number and percentage of criminal alien prisoners from the Americas incarcerated on September 1st that were sent to prison from the state’s 36 counties.
| OREGON DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS |
| County |
DOC Total Inmates W/ ICE Detainers by County from the Americas |
DOC % Inmates W/ICE Detainers by County from the Americas |
| Marion |
210 |
24.53% |
| Washington |
181 |
21.14% |
| Multnomah |
161 |
18.81% |
| Clackamas |
69 |
8.06% |
| Jackson |
34 |
3.97% |
| Lane |
34 |
3.97% |
| Umatilla |
22 |
2.57% |
| Yamhill |
22 |
2.57% |
| Deschutes |
17 |
1.99% |
| Linn |
15 |
1.75% |
| Klamath |
14 |
1.64% |
| Polk |
14 |
1.64% |
| Benton |
12 |
1.40% |
| Malheur |
8 |
0.93% |
| Lincoln |
6 |
0.70% |
| Wasco |
6 |
0.70% |
| Jefferson |
5 |
0.58% |
| Josephine |
5 |
0.58% |
| Coos |
4 |
0.47% |
| Hood River |
4 |
0.47% |
| Douglas |
3 |
0.35% |
| Tillamook |
3 |
0.35% |
| Clatsop |
2 |
0.23% |
| Crook |
1 |
0.12% |
| Gilliam |
1 |
0.12% |
| Lake |
1 |
0.12% |
| Morrow |
1 |
0.12% |
| Union |
1 |
0.12% |
| Baker |
0 |
0.00% |
| Columbia |
0 |
0.00% |
| Curry |
0 |
0.00% |
| Grant |
0 |
0.00% |
| Harney |
0 |
0.00% |
| Sherman |
0 |
0.00% |
| Wallowa |
0 |
0.00% |
| Wheeler |
0 |
0.00% |
| Total |
856 |
100.00% |
Source: Research and Evaluation DOC Report ICE inmates list 01 September 17.
Twenty-eight Oregon counties had at least one criminal alien from the Americas incarcerated in DOC prisons. Four of the state’s counties, Marion, Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas had 621 prisoners (72.55 percent) of the criminal aliens from the Americas incarcerated in the state’s prisons.
Beyond the DOC criminal alien incarceration numbers and percentages by countries of origin, by crime types or by the state’s counties, criminal aliens from the Americas pose high economic cost on Oregon tax payers.
An individual prisoner incarcerated in the DOC prison system costs the state approximately ($94.55) per day.
The DOC’s incarceration cost for its 856 criminal alien prison population from the Americas is approximately ($80,934.80) per day, ($566,543.60) per week, and ($29,541,202.00) per year.
Even taking into account fiscal year 2016 U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), U.S. Department of Justice, State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) award of $1,788,075.00, if the State of Oregon receives the same amount of SCAAP funding for fiscal year 2017, the cost to incarcerate 856 criminal aliens to the DOC will be at least ($27,753,127.00). Note: At this point in time there is no indication the U.S. BJA will provide SCAAP awards in 2017.
None of preceding cost estimates for the DOC to incarcerate the 856 criminal aliens includes the dollar amount for legal services (indigent defense), language interpreters, court costs, or victim assistance.
Bibliography
Oregon Department of Corrections Population Profile (unpublished MS Excel workbook) titled Incarcerated Criminal Aliens Report dated September 1, 2017.
Oregon Department of Corrections Issue Brief Quick Facts IB-53, January, 2017: http://www.oregon.gov/doc/OC/docs/pdf/IB-53-Quick%20Facts.pdf
U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance, State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), 2016 SCAAP award: https://www.bja.gov/funding/FY2016-SCAAP-Award-C.PDF
This report is a service to Oregon state, county and city governmental officials to help them assess the impact of foreign national crime in the state.
David Olen Cross of Salem, Oregon is an independent crime researcher who writes on immigration issues and foreign national crime. He can be reached at docfnc@yahoo.com or at https://docfnc.wordpress.com/
