Washington County Justice Initiative

Karen James speaks with Malori Maloney, Minister of Information, with the Washington County Justice Initiative (WCJI).  WCJI was formed in 2020 by public defense providers to advocate ending racial, economic, and systemic violence in the Washington County criminal legal system. WCJI stands for reallocating resources to support social services, holding police and prosecutors accountable, abolishing the prison system, and electing candidates who actively support these principles. In the past year WCJI canvassed for candidates and registered voters; advocated against funding for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office body cameras; and works to promote public awareness of functions and actions of the county district attorney’s office and law enforcement agencies.   

In October 2020, WCJI presented at Basic Rights Oregon’s statewide conference. The presentation, Interrupting the Cycle of State Sanctioned Violence in Washington County, included an overview of the county’s criminal legal issues that create a vicious cycle, which can only be interrupted by diverting resources from punishment to prevention.   https://wcji.org/interrupting-the-cycle

https://wcji.org/

[email protected]