Oregon Supreme Court Ruling Forces DOC to Recalculate More Than 11,000 Prison Sentences
Victims, Survivors of Crime, and Their Families are Kept Informed About the Potentially Earlier Release Dates of Prisoners
The Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) says it remains committed to accountability, public safety, and transparency as it implements a state Supreme Court ruling that could shorten prison terms by crediting people for time served before sentencing.
This has been confirmed by the director of the DOC, Michael Reese, who says in a news statement that the department is aware of the impact the court ruling has on victims, survivors of crime, and their families.
Prison Sentences Must Be Reevaluated Following a Ruling by the Oregon Supreme Court in July
The reevaluation of sentencing that potentially reduces the time spent behind bars must now be based on the Torres-Lopez v. Fahrion ruling by the Oregon Supreme Court on July 10, 2025.
The petitioner, Abraham Torres-Lopez, sought to compel the DOC to grant him credit towards his Marion County prison sentence for the 125 days he spent in Clackamas and Marion County jails before being sent to prison. The circuit court granted the relief, but the Court of Appeals reversed the ruling.
The Oregon Supreme Court, in turn, reversed the Court of Appeals’ decision and affirmed the judgment of the circuit court after reviewing the case.
Now, the DOC’s role in sentence calculation is to take court judgments and ensure that adults in custody (AICs) serve their full sentences. It is unclear how many sentences will be affected.
DOC director Reese says his department remains committed to communicating decisions and impacts with victims and other public safety stakeholders. Additionally, DOC has recommended District Attorneys and Defense Attorneys review judgments with the court if they believe a change is necessary.
Ruling Affects Release Dates of More Than 11,000 Prisoners
Reese says that since the implications of the Torres-Lopez v. Fahrion decision became clear, the DOC has worked diligently to implement the sentence recalculation of more than 11,000 AICs and to alert affected parties.
Victims of crime registered with the Victim Information Services in Oregon (VISOR) have also been notified if changes were made to sentences.
For updated information subscribe to DOC Sentence Recalculation, for VISOR (Victim Information System in Oregon) visit https://visor.oregon.gov/.