Oregon voters were misled into voting for Measure 11. That initiative set up mandatory minimum sentences for adults convicted of certain offenses. The idea that voters were sold was that the measure would only apply to people aged 15 or older, and that the offenses to which Measure 11 would apply were all serious, violent crimes. Those were lies. The latter lie, about the nature of the offenses involved, became apparent quite quickly. The former still persists.
On this installment of Prison Pipeline, host Doug McVay speaks with a young woman named Jessica Tibbets. She was convicted for the murders committed by her then-boyfriend when she was 14 years old. She's finally out of prison. She has rehabilitated, and in spite of the abuse she suffered as a young child, in spite of how badly the system failed her when she was growing up, in spite of all the hurdles and barriers placed in her way, she is integrating herself into society.