On Tuesday, October 14, at 7:00 p.m., The Portia Project and the ACS hosted a public forum featuring Max Williams, the Director of the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC), in Room 175 of the University of Oregon Knight Law Center.

Mr. Williams is a magna cum laude graduate of Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College. Prior to his appointment to his present position, Mr. Williams practiced law at a leading Portland firm and completed a distinguished career as a member of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. According to his official biography, Mr. Williams' "interest in corrections grew through his legislative responsibilities, where he became very familiar with the policy issues facing the agency and the larger public safety issues facing the state." Mr. Williams' presentation on October 14 will describe the work of the DOC and focus on the impact that the passage of either of two competing ballot measures, Measure 57 or Measure 61, would have on Oregon's prison population and the State's budget.

The debate and forum was non-partisan and examined all angles of the topic.