My first week at PSJ!

Dear PSJ,

As I write this, I am sitting at a picnic table in the Apple Creek Campground on the North Umpqua River. Listening to the shrieks and giggles of the children in the next campsite and the rush of the river beyond the trees, I am struck by how fortunate I am to be back in the Pacific Northwest and to have this opportunity to lead Partnership for Safety and Justice. After just one week as Executive Director, my thoughts about PSJ and my choice of Oregon to continue my work have already been confirmed. The staff and board are deeply committed and enormously talented. And, as you know, the need for a complete rethinking of the criminal justice system in Oregon and across America is pressing.

This country imprisons more people than any other nation: more than China, more than Russia, more than all of Western Europe combined. We criminalize addiction and mental illness. We have created a system that picks up where Jim Crow laws left off, perpetuating centuries of racial inequality and oppression. At the same time, our system actually does very little to prevent crime or meet the needs of crime survivors. The cost of this system has for decades siphoned precious tax dollars that are needed for essential programs, such as public education and health care. I feel no ambivalence in committing my life to this effort, only gratitude that I have the privilege to do so with PSJ and for your support and commitment to its purpose. I am also hopeful. If Newt Gingrich and I can agree on something – that this country locks up far too many of its people for far too long – anything is possible.

I’ll close by thanking Brigette Sarabi and david rogers(1) for forging an outstanding organization, Arwen Bird for her vision for real justice for survivors, and Jennifer Williamson(2) for so ably leading PSJ though this transition. For good reason, PSJ is known nationally as a model for a new approach to criminal justice reform. The solutions-focused, holistic response that PSJ pioneered to address the needs of crime survivors, formerly incarcerated people and the families of both is what sets us apart. The staff and I are eager to work with you to build on the first 15 years of the organization’s innovative work and to take it to the next level.

Sincerely,

Andy Ko
Executive Director

Footnotes

(1) david rogers served as PSJ’s executive director from 2006 to 2014, during which time he published and co-authored reports that fundamentally transformed and reshaped the movement. Through his decades of influence, david has had an enormous impact in criminal justice reform, immigration, and youth justice.

(2) Jennifer Williamson served as PSJ’s interim executive director in 2014. In addition to her bold advocacy of criminal justice reform, she’s been a courageous champion of progressive movements throughout her career in Oregon’s legislature, policy advocacy, and community-based leadership.