Justice Integrity
Recognizing that justice does not stop with conviction and sentencing, DA Schmidt formed the Justice Integrity Unit (JIU) in July 2021. The JIU works to ensure that the interests of justice are being served by critically evaluating past convictions, guaranteeing the integrity of new convictions, examining whether sentences continue to advance public safety, and assisting in providing a barrier-free path for those who have achieved rehabilitation. The JIU focuses on a number of key areas, including the following.
Record Clearing
One-third of Americans have been arrested by the age of 23, meaning up to 100 million people in the United States have a criminal record. The collateral consequences of a criminal record can affect a person’s access to public benefits, education, and work opportunities, which creates barriers for those seeking to fully integrate into their communities and lift themselves and their families out of poverty.
The JIU works with community members on several mechanisms for clearing records, including:
Driving While Suspended Project
Wrongful convictions damage the legitimacy of the criminal justice system. The JIU identified a problem with DMV records showing that people’s driver licenses were suspended or revoked long after those suspensions should have expired. This was causing people to be wrongfully arrested, even wrongfully prosecuted, and in at least one case, wrongfully incarcerated. When JIU uncovered this issue, we immediately alerted DMV and law enforcement partners, urging them to audit their records & correct the issue. The JIU completed its own audit of DWS convictions in Multnomah County and worked to clear 12 such wrongful convictions. To prevent the issue from happening again, DA Schmidt and his administration advocated for its correction through SB 343 (2023).