Murmurs: Jailers Nix Showing of Prison Reform Film

JAILERS NIX SHOWING OF PRISON REFORM FILM: The First Step, a documentary about successful, bipartisan federal prison reforms produced by former WW journalist Lance Kramer and directed by his brother Brandon Kramer, made its local debut last week at the Portland Art Museum. The film explores how a Black activist, Van Jones, worked with the Trump administration to reduce sentences and the terms of incarceration for tens of thousands of prisoners. Lance Kramer has shown the film at jails and prisons across the country—and he sought permission to show it at the Multnomah County Jail. But Stephanie C. LaCarrubba, a manager in Sheriff Mike Reese’s office, said prison reform was not an appropriate topic for prisoners. “To ensure MCSO’s values are in concert with our entire community, it is imperative that we maintain bright lines around political positions or messaging,” she wrote in an email. In his response, Kramer expressed disappointment. “The film is an independent, nonpartisan project,” he wrote. “It’s not an initiative of any political party, candidate or media company. We’ve worked very hard over many years to represent the issue and story in a nuanced, complex and accurate manner that does not take political sides.”

LABOR UNION ALLEGES MEIERAN THREATENED REVENGE: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 88, which represents 3,700 Multnomah County employees, filed complaints with the Oregon Employment Relations Board and Secretary of State Shemia Fagan’s office on Oct. 11. The complaints allege County Commissioner Sharon Meieran, who’s running for county chair, waged an unsuccessful pressure campaign this summer to gain an endorsement from the union. They say Meieran first asked union representatives to either endorse both her and her opponent or water down their support for Jessica Vega Pederson. When the union declined, according to union documents, Meieran called union president Joslyn Baker to say she’d no longer participate in bargaining sessions. The secretary of state complaint argues Meieran used undue influence to garner support for her campaign: “Simply put, Meieran’s communications with Baker sought to bully Baker into supporting her candidacy. In the words of the statute, Commissioner Meieran was using her authority and power to ‘coerce’ or ‘command’ [the union] to ‘promote’ her election.” Meieran says the allegations are false. “The timing of this complaint, a week before ballots drop, doesn’t pass the smell test,” she tells WW. “It seems more like a political hit job, with AFSCME signaling how far they will go to advance their chosen candidate and protect the status quo. I trust voters are able to see through this cynical political ploy.”

PORTLAND COPS ARE FINDING MORE GUNS: Police are recovering more guns from Portland streets than ever, according to new data from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The agency helps local law enforcement trace original sellers of guns found at crime scenes. The ATF conducted 1,339 such traces in Portland last year, according to a report published last month, which is likely a record—it was the largest number of traces reported in the previous 10 years of data reviewed by WW. It’s also a 50% increase from the number of guns recovered a decade earlier. Not all agencies use the ATF’s gun trace program consistently, so the data is not always a reliable way to determine the frequency of guns recovered. But Lt. Nathan Sheppard, a spokesman for the Portland Police Bureau, tells WW the bureau “consistently” sends all recovered guns to the ATF. “Any observed increase in gun trace data,” Sheppard says, “would directly correlate to an increase in the number of guns recovered.”

PAMPLIN PENSION FUND HACKED: As WW has previously reported, Robert Pamplin Jr., owner of the Portland Tribune and 23 other Oregon newspapers, has, as sole trustee of his corporation’s pension fund, made a series of risky and potentially illegal transfers of underused real estate from Pamplin companies to the fund. Now those pensioners have another worry. On Sept. 21, the company notified 2,400 participants in the nearly $100 million pension fund that hackers “had not only encrypted the company’s data, they also acquired and began to sell certain data on the dark web regarding employees, retirees and beneficiaries.” In response, Pamplin representative Gary Williams told participants the company had upgraded security and software and “recovered or rebuilt the data that was subject to cyberattack.” The plan’s assets—stocks, bonds and real estate—were not subject to the hack. A Pamplin spokesman declined to comment

CANDIDATES READY TO GO WILD: Multnomah County ballots arrive in Portland mailboxes next week. You know what that means: It’s time for a talent show! Candidates Gone Wild, WW’s cavalcade of politicos enduring mild embarrassment, returns to Revolution Hall at 8 pm Monday, Oct. 17. Along with candidates on the November ballot—City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, her challenger Rene Gonzalez, and county chair hopeful Sharon Meieran—the show will include appearances and cameos by Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, comedian Patton Oswalt, Portland Public Schools board members Michelle DePass and Herman Greene, former Mayor Sam Adams and the Unipiper. Terry Porter and Storm Large host. Tickets can be purchased for $12 at https://tinyurl.com/vtmvan3h.