The Challenge
Mass incarceration is the greatest civil rights issue of our time. We have over 5,000 jails and prisons in the U.S. and the related infrastructure and resources that support it; it is the most comprehensive network of detention the world has ever known and has resulted in the US incarcerating 25 percent of the world's prisoners despite our country representing just five percent of the global population. The U.S. addresses social problems such as poverty, homelessness, and mental illness by incarcerating people and it is time to dismantle these structures of White Supremacy and re-imagine a new value system to community well-being: one that is not discriminatory toward people of color and those living in the margins.
WOMEN IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
immigrant rights
wrongful convictions
civil and human rights
youth in the justice system
excessive sentencing
“our work is grounded in providing legal services to those who would not otherwise have access to the courts.”
bobbin singh | Co-Founder and executive director
The Justice Center Model
We use a justice center model which allows us to offer several distinct projects that can operate semi-independently. They provide direct representation or limited legal advice to people who otherwise would not have access to legal services. The benefits of this model allow what would typically be stand-alone nonprofits to share administration, management, and development resources under a single organizational banner. Additionally, with the diversity of programs and expertise under a single umbrella, we are the only organization in Oregon that is involved in all non-prosecutorial aspects of the criminal justice system, from arrest through reentry. This is a nationally innovative and unique model, and allows us the opportunity to address criminal justice reform holistically and grounded in client experiences.