Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 2017)
August 30, 2017 Page 3 INSIDE The Week in Review page 2 This page Sponsored by: New Justice Reform Push Aim is to redefine the role of DAs page 9 M ETRO Arts & ENTERTAINMENT pages 7-11 A major new campaign to make Oregon’s criminal justice system more effective, fair, and accountable was launched Sun- day by the American Civil Lib- erties Union of Oregon Over 100 supporters of the organization gathered in Bea- verton Sunday to hear about the local chapter’s “They Re- port to You” initiative which aims to redefine the role of the state’s district attorneys in or- der to bring needed changes. “At a time when President Trump and Attorney Gener- al Jeff Sessions are trying to turn our criminal justice sys- tem back to the 1990s, we are moving forward for reform in Oregon,” said David Rogers, ACLU of Oregon executive director. “This campaign is a top priority. It will last several years and we already have staff working on it full time.” The group’s initial goals are focused on increasing voters’ understanding of the role that district attorneys play and in- creasing direct engagement be- tween voters and DAs. Ultimately, the campaign will push for district attorney’s to increase transparency in the justice system; emphasize pre- David Rogers vention and treatment; focus on addressing the root causes of crime; commit to fair prac- tices and policies; and be in- tentional about reducing racial disparities. “District attorneys need to understand that there is more to accountability than building and filling prisons,” said Dan- iel Lewkow, the ALCU cam- paign’s manager. “Account- ability includes doing what is fair and effective such as using more smart-on-crime strategies like prevention, treatment, ed- ucation, and re-entry support.” The reform efforts follows progress made during the 2017 Oregon Legislature when the ACLU successfully lobbied lawmakers to pass laws de- signed to end law enforcement profiling, reduce unreasonably harsh penalties for simple drug possession, limit expansion of prison populations, and make the grand jury system more ac- countable and transparent. “These smart reforms all faced serious and vocal opposi- tion from the district attorneys, yet Oregon was able to push them forward,” Rogers said. “This marks a major shift in the political landscape in our state, and we’re just getting started.” Nikki Fisher, executive di- rector of The Bus Project, which is teaming up with the ACLU of Oregon on the “They Report to You” campaign, said many people do not know who their district attorneys are or what they do.” “But once they learned about the role that district attorneys play, they wanted to engage. People recognize that our crim- inal justice system is out of bal- ance, and they want to see their DAs provide solutions to make the system work better,” Fisher said. The ACLU said interest in the civil rights organization has spiked since the election of Trump and membership in Oregon has quadrupled to over 40,000. Officials said supporters have been hungry for ways to get involved and the campaign will continue to build and ex- pand its footprint in the state over the coming months. Hardesty Runs as Unity Candidate O PINION C LASSIFIEDS C ALENDAR page 16 F OOD pages 12-13 pages 14 page 15 A long time political leader in Portland and member of Port- land’s African American com- munity kicked off an election campaign for a position on the Portland City Council Satur- day with a rally drawing a large group of supporters. Former state representative and current president of the Port- land NAACP Jo Ann Hardesty says she is running to make sure all voices and every walk of life is represented at City Hall. “This is the voice of One Port- land,” said Hardesty. “We mean to unite our town, to be a beacon of enlightenment shining across Jo Ann Hardesty our country. We cannot be silent as dark clouds of racism and ha- tred roll out from some places. That is what this campaign is about.” The high energy event at the Mt. Scott Community Center was opened by Oregon Music Hall of Fame Inductee Norman Sylvester and his band, and fea- tured short rousing talks by Rev. LeRoy Haynes, a Portland black pastor who leads efforts for po- lice justice reforms in Oregon and is a member of the Albina Ministerial Alliance, and Hard- esty. Volunteers with clipboards and campaign messages then went into local neighborhoods to listen to Portlanders’ concerns and invite them to be a part of the Hardesty campaign.