Criminal justice reform was peddled to voters as being about poor, underprivileged souls serving harsh sentences for smoking marijuana or some such nonsense. In reality, criminal justice reformers have fought to ensure that cold-blooded criminals avoid justice for repeated or heinous crimes.
This is evident in Salem, the capital of Oregon, where a controversy has emerged regarding the city’s police review board. That board of civilians is tasked with reviewing internal investigations performed by the Salem Police Department and making recommendations to the city manager and city council based on its findings. In 2024, the Salem City Council voted unanimously to appoint Kyle Hedquist to the board, and it reappointed him earlier this month by a 5-4 vote.
