Partnership for Safety and Justice unites those most affected by crime, violence, and the criminal justice system (survivors [0] of crime, people convicted of crime, and the families of both) to advance approaches that redirect policies and resources from an over-reliance on incarceration, to effective strategies that reduce violence and recidivism [0], and increase personal and community safety. We are based in Portland, Oregon, and work across the state. We also serve as a "regional information hub" for Idaho, Montana, and Washington state, sharing information about the criminal justice system in those states.

Founded in 1999 as the Western Prison Project, Partnership for Safety and Justice was started by the mother of a Federal prisoner, and originally served seven western states: Oregon, Washington, Montana, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Nevada. We provided a combination of public education (including this website), mobilization of people directly affected by the criminal justice system, and capacity building work with grassroots organizations. After seven solid years, we decided to focus more closely on our home state of Oregon and work for specific policy changes.

You can learn more about us by reading about our programs (also listed as the banner at the top of this page): Safety and Sentencing [0], the Prison Program [0], Crime Survivors for Community Safety [0], and Beyond Barriers [0].

About Our Founder

Brigette Sarabi founded Partnership for Safety (then named the Western Prison Project) in 1999 and served as our director until October, 2006. She is the co-editor (with Peter Wagner) of The Prison Index—Taking the Pulse of the Crime Control Industry (2003) and co-author (with Ed Bender) of the report The Prison Payoff: The Role of Politics and Private Prisons in the Incarceration Boom (2000). In 2004 she was the recipient of a Gloria Award from the Ms. Foundation for Women. She is the mother of a former prisoner, and a survivor of violent crime.