Cate, Sarah Diane, 1986-2010-08-232010-08-232010-06https://hdl.handle.net/1794/10623xii, 101 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.This thesis examines the significant expansion of prisons in Oregon in the last fifteen years. In order to explain the evolution of Oregon's prison growth, the thesis analyzes the ways discourses and representations of crime have justified and explained voter approval for punitive policies in Oregon. Drawing from multi-disciplinary literature that documents the central role played by issue framing and discourse construction in political conflicts, I use the case of the 1994 campaign in which key crime initiatives were passed by Oregon voters. The thesis argues that policy decisions and election outcomes are closely related to long-standing perceptions of"insiders" and "outsiders" as a way to view societal problems. Utilizing an extensive media analysis, this thesis considers how political narratives have influenced the passage of ballot measures committed to a punitive direction in crime policy.en-USPrisons -- OregonCrime -- OregonThesis