Jail overcrowding blamed for release of accused murderer
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SALEM, Ore. – The man accused of shooting and killing another man outside a Walmart Monday morning was released from jail three weeks ago because of overcrowding.
The jail commander, Sheila Lorance, with the Marion County Sheriff's Office, said she had no choice but to release 41-year-old Mark Brown last month. He was released even though he'd been arrested many times.
Brown was arrested in Tigard Tuesday morning after police said he shot and killed 28-year-old Bryan John Lee Knorr in Walmart's parking lot the morning before.
Brown appeared in court Wednesday via video and said hardly anything to the charge of murder. Police said he drove into the store’s parking lot and up to Knorr and shot him dead through the open passenger-side window.
Knorr's family was in court and his mother often sobbed.
According to court records, Brown admitted he was at the Walmart and threatened Knorr that day as well as in the past but told police he didn't pull the trigger.
Brown had previously been arrested Aug. 11 for possession of methamphetamine. He was released the same day despite a long criminal history. According to the jail, it had no choice because it is at maximum capacity of 405 inmates and other prisoners had higher risk scores.
Lorance said it would have made a difference if Brown had been arrested for a violent crime.
"That would have put him at a higher risk. Then we have to look at the 405 people and consider them of which ones of those folks we are going to release and consider who's the greatest risk," she said.
The jail went through budget cuts last year and every day it's at capacity.
It's typical to release repeat offenders like Ricky Davis who was arrested 47 times. None of his crimes, like Brown, were serious enough to keep them locked up for a long time.
"If we had known that (he would allegedly shoot someone) we would have held him, if we had that crystal ball, we would have held him," Lorance said.
Court records didn't reveal a motive, and the victim's family didn't speak with KATU News. But Brown and Knorr may be connected through a Salem apartment. According to public records, it was the address of Knorr and his girlfriend, but a neighbor said they didn't live there anymore and that it was Brown who the neighbor saw coming and going as recently as Saturday.
What ever happened to prison camps? Make some of the inmates pitch some tents in the yard!
Too many inmates incarcerated for smoking the evil herb. Must keep them devil worshipers in instead of violent criminals.
Don't have room for him? So transfer him to another jail! Make him sit in solitary confinement! Hell, make a utility closet into a room for him. DO NOT RELEASE THE MOTHEREFFER!
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My gosh. People are so freaking stupid sometimes! Let's release a career criminal who is currently being charged with murder because we don't have room for him. Sounds like a bright effing plan to me!  <sarcasm>
@Tattooed_Angel  He wasn't being held because of attempted murder charges when he was released, he was being held on possession of methamphetamine. Not knowing what the other detainees were charged with it is hard to say that his release was not the best option at the time.
@Justaguy Ok, got it. Thanks for correcting me. I misread the first sentence. :)
@Tattooed_Angel It was written to be misleading. They wanted to elicit a specific response and you catered to them nicely. If they had opted for an alternate headline that was perhaps more accurate, I bet half of Komo's readers would have just passed the article by. Regardless, I still think releasing anyone before their time is up is absolutely ridiculous; that includes making bail...a system which I hate.
Start making going to jail a terrible thing and watch the crime rate drop!!!  Instead the bastards get warm meals and beds, tv, someone doing their laundry, basketball ect....then there would be plenty of space!!Â
"Brown was arrested in Tigard Tuesday morning after police said he shot and killed 28-year-old Bryan John Lee Knorr"
"Lorance said it would have made a difference if Brown had been arrested for a violent crime."
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Did I miss something somewhere?
Since when is shooting and killling someone NOT a violent crime?
Yes you did miss something.
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He wasn't being held on the attempted murder when he was released. He was being held on possession of methamphetamine charges.
 @Justaguy Ahh, thanks. For some reason, the story seemed kind of scrambled to me.
We could have rented space to Oregon and other states after we spent 118-million dollars on McNeil Island and then closed it.
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But that would have made too much sense. Â Dems love to spend, spend, spend - and let people go.
An inexpensive solution: Dig deep pits in the desert (minimum of 100 feet), lower the prisoners in via a pulley system, throw in a minimum amount of tents, blankets, etc, provide the minimum amount of food and water, and let them out only to work on chain-gangs, where if they do a good job they get extra benefits, like better food, candy, etc. They could also get benefits if they choose to attend and participate in social-education classes as well. Sanitation would be open-air latrines that the prisoners would deal with themselves on a rotating basis. Choosing not to do one's share of work gets a visit to "the hole".
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Most of these guys "just don't care" about anything at all, barely about themselves, so prison needs to be a wake-up call to them, that they need to learn to get along in society without injuring others, or they will be forever banned from it.
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That said, this accused murderer needs to be executed for his horrible crime. There's NO coming back from doing something like that.
I'm moving there. Thanks be to God they didn't let out those bad men who have marijuana convictions!
WTF???
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 Out of 405 inmates, are they trying to claim that ALL Of them were high risk? Ya gotta be kidding me! Highly doubtful and if Meth is on any criminal record that should be a high risk factor to keep them locked up. Â
Or, Lets start culling the herd by putting the SSA's 174,000 hollow points to good use: murderers and child molesters go bye-bye to make room for the "less dangerous" methheads....
How to make Wa. criminal justice system look good? Compare to Oregons'.
The jails are full of non-violent males mostly locked up mostly for he-said/she-said  Domestic Violence type of crimes. The police and courts side with the female 90% of the time whether there is any evidence or not. Those offenders are always "high risk" because if they got out and went after their spouse or girlfriend the state would be held responsible. We are talking about guys doing 6 months for throwing a cup of water at someone or just arguing. I've seen it. But we'll let out the raging meth heads that break into people's houses and could possibly commit murder. Seriously, your tax dollars are locking up your non-violent neighbor meanwhile you have people on drugs roaming the streets. Until we all say enough is enough this will keep happening. Â
 @FremontTroll Lets see your data indicating the numbers of truly non-violent males filling the jails.  I'll wait.
NO!! Sheer stupidity, incompetence, and unaccountability is to blame....don't you freakin' dare blame this on "budget cuts"!! Underhanded scare tactic to raise taxes, eh?? OOOOO, let's have a levy so we don't screw up again>>
 Dammm, this blame the public game is getting old.....
How many more inmates will you "accidentally" release??
 @Sydthepiper Since you're the expert go down there and show them how to manage their jail on the dollars they're alloted and still meet the conditions set forth by the courts from the numerous lawsuits brought about concerning crowding and jail conditions.
Well be waiting to see your results.
@My_Thoughts @Sydthepiper Stack them in like cordwood....think WWII submarine bunks, 18" between them.. There should be space in the wire for a GOOD garden...cant garden, YOU DONT EAT. IF US Service folks can endure the conditions, so can prisoners. After all they DID forfeit several rights in the commission of their crimes, unlike the Service folks who volunteered.
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Also, let out the ones in for simple pot possession, I think its STUPID, even if I disagree with toking. Pay a fine and go away. Keep the methheads IN, murderers IN, rapists IN, etc... Tell the prisoners that if they dont like the conditions inside...DONT DO THE CRIMES. Pretty simple eh? The bleeding heart lawyers who file these suits on behalf of the incarcerated need to be told to sit down and shut up unless its a REAL issue...not just that Joe Prisoner has a ROOMMATE.....
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AGAIN...If one cannot do the TIME...dont do the CRIME.
He hadn't committed murder prior to being released, otherwise he would not have been let out. We don't know what the other detainees had done but clearly they have a points system associated to each type of offense and given that equation at the time of his release he was considered less dangerous than the others
@Justaguy Yes, a presumption of innocence, however if there is SOLID evidence that he committed a murder...I think that prudence would keep him locked up until it can be determined if he is a danger to the public. ALSO seem he is a habitual offender for many OTHER things...
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And this? "Lorrance said it would have made a difference if Brown had been arrested for a violent crime"...I was under the OBVIOUSLY MISGUIDED ASSUMPTION that MURDER was a violent crime? (yeah i know they likely were refering to the multiple meth etc arrests) but the dude is accused of murder, has admitted to threatening the victim prior, had OBVIOUS issues with judgement and rules and they let him BACK OUT?Â
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Maybe lodge him in with Lorrance? Just for safekeeping?
It's not that your idea isn't a bad one for convicted criminals, but the reason he was released is that he had not yet been convicted of the possession charge.
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All of us are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty and a level of civility should go along with that assumption.