Cohort 2024
Lutheran Community Services Northwest
Communicating the Impact of an Alternative-to-Arrest Program
Portland, OR
The traditional response to crime in our communities often fails to meet the needs of both the harmed party and the responsible party, leaving people further hurt and unsatisfied with our systems. This is particularly true for immigrant and refugee communities, which are less likely to report crimes because of a lack of knowledge and distrust of the criminal legal system, and for communities of color that are disproportionately impacted by gun violence, substance use, high crime rates, and high incarceration rates. Lutheran Community Services Northwest, in partnership with the Portland Police Bureau, presents an alternative: the Portland Community Justice Partnership. PCJP is the first restorative justice, alternative-to-arrest program of its kind in Oregon, and one of the only such programs in the US. PCJP advances criminal legal system reform by seeking person-centered means of reconciliation as an alternative to unnecessary criminal charges, and it engages with immigrant and refugee communities and communities of color by offering individualized wraparound support to crime victims navigating the criminal legal system.
With Catalyst Grant funding, Lutheran Community Services Northwest will develop a data-tracking system to measure and communicate PCJP’s impact to law enforcement and local communities. To this end, it will analyze six years of program data and Portland-specific data to build data dashboards promoted via social media and the PCJP webpage and incorporated in community training and consultation curriculums. Through data-based communication with law enforcement and community partners, Lutheran Community Services Northwest aims to directly advance reform at the front end of the juvenile and adult criminal legal systems in Portland.
