ORS 151.235: Public defense population forecasts.

(1) The Oregon Department of Administrative Services shall issue state public defense population forecasts including, but not limited to, expected populations of adults and juveniles eligible for appointed counsel, to be used by:

      (a) The Oregon Public Defense Commission, in preparing budget requests or for any other purpose determined necessary by the commission; or

      (b) Any other state agency concerned with the effect of public defense populations or policy developments on budgeting.

      (2) The department shall issue state public defense population forecasts on April 15 and October 15 of each year.

      (3) When the department issues a state public defense population forecast, the forecast must:

      (a) Discretely identify adult and juvenile populations that are eligible for appointed counsel categorized by either circuit or appellate court;

      (b) Identify the forecast’s margin of error for adult and juvenile populations; and

      (c) Attribute growth or decline in the forecast, relative to previously issued forecasts, to specific policies or to specific components of the baseline underlying the forecast.

      (4) The Oregon Public Defense Commission, the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, the Judicial Department and, if requested by the Oregon Department of Administrative Services, any other state agency, shall provide the Oregon Department of Administrative Services with any information necessary for the department to prepare the forecasts described in this section.

      (5) As used in this section, “baseline underlying the forecast” includes population demographics and crime trends.