Jail overcrowding blamed for release of man now accused of murder
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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.
The jail commander needs to be fired!  He was a murder and should have been locked up without bail till trial. No excuse for this kind of error within the judicial system.Â
let's do it this way. as the police bring in every four offenders, we execute the top four bad guys and replace them with the new ones. we continue this until word on the street gets around and people stop killing, assaulting and robbing others.
Whether there will be a law suit from this doesnt really matter. As far as the jails are concerned, they did their job. He had no history of violence and all of his crimes were drug related. With that said, this is an example of our jail system as it progresses through an under budgeted department. This is a crap economy and the states are in serious debt. Are you really surprised that they are letting out people and they commit crime over again? California is a good example of what is soon to come. They currently release around 2500 violent inmates statewide, with no probation or parole officers to watch over them. All because they dont have the money to house the inmates. Now while the non violent hipsters or hippies disagree with this, sometimes the best justice is instant. Like when that burglar breaks in early in the morning and you give him the 12 guage. Simple cost without having to worry about paying for someone to sit in jail, getting food, clothing, schooling, tv, computer and so on. Disagree with me if you will, but this is a good example of what is going to be the norm.
My crystal ball sees a potential lawsuit in the near future.He may have been arrested many time for chippie charges but one tends to escalate their crimes as time moves on.Not a wise move on the jail's part.
They NEVER release the homeless veterans thrown in jail for the crime of Sleeping Outside early....NEVER; they make those veterans SUFFERÂ IMMENSELY in those torture chamber jails....!
@August100
Torture ? they get 3 sq meals a day, have access to cable/color tv/law library/gym and more. Better than some have it at home and you call it torture ?.
Remember when we used to all say, "We're the richest nation on earth and we can do anything?" If that was ever true, it's not anymore. We're overextended and bankrupt and it's time the Judges learned that and stopped punishing us for not providing Class A accomodations for the scum of society. If they're unhappy and crowded together that's tough. We can't afford any better but we have the right to keep them confined and away from decent people in society.Â
This was bound to happen when justice is held accountable to budgets!
 If the mother who called 911 on her own son because she was afraid for her life can be awarded millions of $$ because the police shot and killed her son after he refused to drop the knife, then why shouldn't families of crime victims who were murdered because the prison released a criminal due to "overcrowding" also be awarded millions? I know that the man shot in this case was also a convicted rapist and all-around dirt bag, but if we, the citizens, don't make it more painful for the state to release prisoners early than it is to defend the overcrowding lawsuits, then this type of thing will never change.Â
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BTW, I am a believer in building more prisons as well as the expedient use of capital punishment. Would that our dictator in office, Sir Kitzhaber, uphold the law and carry out the sentence of those on death row.
who the heck is Ricky Davis?
@mister ricky davis is a crackhead from the salem streets. someone else who should be locked up and throw away the key
Stack them up! Make them share beds! Make jail more UNAPPEALING.  They get 3 meals a day and cable tv, so of course they don't care if they are sent back! I'm sorry, but releasing ANYone in the prison system before their time is served is just buying trouble! Send them to another prison but do NOT unleash them back into society!! Granted, even with time served they can get out and commit crimes, but stories like this just make my blood boil. My condolences to the Knorr family!!!Â
It seems like this article is meant to enrage us to some kind of action. But I don't know what that action is. Allow more taxes for prisons? Blame the system for its shortfalls? Go out and take matters into our own hands? Forgive the prison system? Is this article meant to just enrage us or are there some solutions here? I wish I knew what to do, but the truth is I just don't. I don't think the government does either.
Violent offenders should be in prison.  Non-violent offenders should be on a chain gang working their A$$ES off to repay their debt to society.  No one should just be sitting in prison doing nothing - every one of them should be working.  HARD.  I know I'm ignorant of the system, but it seems like there could be ways for them  to pay their keep so overcrowding is not such an issue.  Petty crime stuff should earn you time on a chain gang with hard labor - something most of those losers don't know anything about.
@oregonchick76
You aren't ignorant..You have it right. Yes, they should be earning their keep. Part of the problem is that you can't do that to pre-sentenced/those awaiting trials so the only one's you will see out on the streets cleaning up debris or doing landscape maintenance are the ones already sentenced.The county is the one that has the job of taking them out on work details and yes, they have to be closely supervised. You won't find the ones with sentences with violent crimes out there but yes, they all should accountable for their keepl. There had been talk some time back about charging them and making them pay, down the road, for that but that did not materialize. Perhaps, we should look at that again.
Hrm... hard to get too worked up on this one... yep... he evidently murdered a guy.. who had many convictions including rape. murder or public service.
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@Peregrine
point is, he took it out on someone, no matter what that person had done in a previous life.Next time, it could be someone innocent.The fact that the person had a long rap sheet should have been a clue along with the fact, the tendancy to escalate to a higher form of crime is there.Potential lawsuit there against the county and others.
For all intent purposes he was a non violent drug addict. There's thousands of them. Cant keep them all locked up. Investing in rehab verses the revolving catch and release process might be an idea. Or a more space saving solution for hard core offenders.
@Lips ....hi lips. The problem to me seems to be, that while non violent, theft be it robbery or burglary harms the rest of us.
 @Rob C  @Lips Hi Rob. =) I agree. But at some point, we'll reach critical mass in terms of our prison populations. We need better solutions.
@Lips ....agreed
Sweet "give us more money" police state propoganda...
@undertone But at least they have all those non-violent drug offenders locked up tight!
Jails should should purchase crystal balls. Six inch crystal balls cost $100.00.
I am sure they release other criminals who commit other types of crimes as well. Â Why aren't they sharing the statistics?
If it was up to me I would put murders,child molesters and rapists all on a deserted Island that the Navy uses for target practice. I would make sure sharks were in the area at all times somehow surrounding said Island. That would free up a lot of prison space.
@maramorai ~ Sure is a tempting idea, isn't it, maramorai..?    They say violent crime is "down", but it sure doesn't seem that way most of the time... Â
@margay1
Violent crime isn't down. They are padding the stats...
So, put him in another prison. Other states send their prisoners to other states.
Good heavens. Now, he will murder again or disappear and the thought that the government cannot think of any other option is horrifying.Â
They are one-option thinkers!Â
There's a big difference between prison and jail.
Incompetence isn't blamed. It's overcrowding. WOW !!
Who is accountable so this doesnt happen again ?
@Rob C
Well, we all know what flows downhill so it starts with the Sheriff, who basically run the jails(in Mult Co anyway) and then downhill from there. Back in 1986, we went thru this for months on end. Everytime a cop wanted to book someone in, the "jail" had to release one to keep it from being over crowded. It was a mess.We also have a perfectly good jail sitting empty since it was built-Wapato-cause no one thought ahead once it was built,where was the $$ coming from to run it. It is costing many dollars to keep it running--empty.That needs to change.Start with that and work forward
The bleeding heart Judge who ordered manditory releases is guilty of murder.
Two word solution: Tent City
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 @TundraTuniq Or, 'hot bunking' like they do in the Navy. 8 hours in the bed, and then get to work. 3 guys share the same space, just in shifts.
 @Don_Keyshow Also sounds like a great solution, except where do you put the "debunked" (pun intended) during their waking hours?
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