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Why Support the Oregon Justice Resource Center
Dear Community,
It is been clear over the last few months that the biggest Civil Rights movement of our history is upon us. As community members, we have at times asked, what is it I can do? We are writing on behalf of our home, Portland, OR. which finds itself at the epicenter of the fight for justice. We must create awareness & support around an established & reputable organization that is working for Black Lives and Civil Rights every day.
The Oregon Justice Resource Center provides regional and nuanced legal services and advocacy to stand for humanity, dismantle white supremacy, and end mass incarceration. Individuals and communities impacted by our criminal legal system confront racial bias, discriminatory sentencing practices, state violence, and intentional and overly punitive collateral consequences. Despite Oregon’s reputation for being progressive, we confront a different reality when it comes to our criminal justice system. From 1994 to 2016, Oregon’s prison population grew 122.8% (the women population alone grew 277.9%). A few notable statistics: Oregon incarcerates blacks at a far higher rate than Florida and Alabama, and nearly twice the rate of Georgia and Mississippi; Oregon incarcerates youth at a higher rate than Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida; and Oregon incarcerates women at a higher rate than California and Washington
The OJRC has done this work for years and done it tirelessly, but they are now overloaded with cases of police brutality. OJRC is currently representing Don't Shoot PDX in their lawsuit against the Portland Police Bureau for its indiscriminate use of teargas against protesters. OJRC has five arms of justice-seeking initiatives, including the Oregon Innocence Project, a chapter of the Innocence Project, a Civil Rights Project, Immigrant Rights Project, Women's Justice Project and Youth Justice Project. They need more lawyers and more money to fight these battles properly. If we miss this opportunity to arm our best people with what they need to win, we will re-live this moment in time again and again, only it will be future generations fighting this same fight.
The OJRC’s regional and focused services allow it to be nimble, but they currently lack name recognition. Supporting OJRC creates a ripple effect nationally in that Oregon legislative changes provide a precedent other states can follow. We need systemic change and OJRC is working towards that. The system that allows police officers to kill unarmed black kids and not be held accountable must change. Black parents’ fear that their child will not come home one day because they could be shot for no reason by a police officer must change. The mass incarceration of non-violent criminals in prisons must change. We need to give our money to this fight and our compassion to all people.
We are asking that you look at Oregon as the site of change. There is an opportunity to lead the country with legislation and legal precedence that will set the example for other states to follow. This fight for Oregon is ultimately a fight for the nation.
Please join your community in support of Oregon’s push for legislative changes by donating to the Oregon Justice Resource Center.
Thank you,
A, M and Chttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ-tKqb2D2c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qemTJHOjFw8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbvp9KKJ1kA
It is been clear over the last few months that the biggest Civil Rights movement of our history is upon us. As community members, we have at times asked, what is it I can do? We are writing on behalf of our home, Portland, OR. which finds itself at the epicenter of the fight for justice. We must create awareness & support around an established & reputable organization that is working for Black Lives and Civil Rights every day.
The Oregon Justice Resource Center provides regional and nuanced legal services and advocacy to stand for humanity, dismantle white supremacy, and end mass incarceration. Individuals and communities impacted by our criminal legal system confront racial bias, discriminatory sentencing practices, state violence, and intentional and overly punitive collateral consequences. Despite Oregon’s reputation for being progressive, we confront a different reality when it comes to our criminal justice system. From 1994 to 2016, Oregon’s prison population grew 122.8% (the women population alone grew 277.9%). A few notable statistics: Oregon incarcerates blacks at a far higher rate than Florida and Alabama, and nearly twice the rate of Georgia and Mississippi; Oregon incarcerates youth at a higher rate than Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida; and Oregon incarcerates women at a higher rate than California and Washington
The OJRC has done this work for years and done it tirelessly, but they are now overloaded with cases of police brutality. OJRC is currently representing Don't Shoot PDX in their lawsuit against the Portland Police Bureau for its indiscriminate use of teargas against protesters. OJRC has five arms of justice-seeking initiatives, including the Oregon Innocence Project, a chapter of the Innocence Project, a Civil Rights Project, Immigrant Rights Project, Women's Justice Project and Youth Justice Project. They need more lawyers and more money to fight these battles properly. If we miss this opportunity to arm our best people with what they need to win, we will re-live this moment in time again and again, only it will be future generations fighting this same fight.
The OJRC’s regional and focused services allow it to be nimble, but they currently lack name recognition. Supporting OJRC creates a ripple effect nationally in that Oregon legislative changes provide a precedent other states can follow. We need systemic change and OJRC is working towards that. The system that allows police officers to kill unarmed black kids and not be held accountable must change. Black parents’ fear that their child will not come home one day because they could be shot for no reason by a police officer must change. The mass incarceration of non-violent criminals in prisons must change. We need to give our money to this fight and our compassion to all people.
We are asking that you look at Oregon as the site of change. There is an opportunity to lead the country with legislation and legal precedence that will set the example for other states to follow. This fight for Oregon is ultimately a fight for the nation.
Please join your community in support of Oregon’s push for legislative changes by donating to the Oregon Justice Resource Center.
Thank you,
A, M and Chttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ-tKqb2D2c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qemTJHOjFw8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbvp9KKJ1kA
- C
- A
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