Black People Are Disproportionately Jailed in Multnomah County

A host of factors contribute to the skewed rates at Multnomah County Jail.

By Beth Slovic

Multnomah County recently put a magnifying glass to its jails.

What officials found, using a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, wasn't entirely shocking: African-Americans are six times more likely to be in jail than their white peers.

A host of factors contribute to the disproportionality.

Blacks are 4.1 times more likely than whites to have a probation violation result in a jail stay, according to a county report.

Blacks are 7.5 times more likely than whites to have a parole violation result in a jail stay.

Read the full report here.

Willamette Week

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Beth Slovic

Beth Slovic

Beth Slovic joined Willamette Week as a staff writer in 2006, returning in 2014 after a three-year hiatus. She covers politics, immigration and more.

Willamette Week’s reporting has real-life impact that changes laws, forces action by civic leaders, and drives compromised politicians from public office.

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