The Center for Social Justice works towards change in the criminal justice system through legislative advocacy, coalition building, and legal strategy.

In 2004, CSJ was invited to play the leading role in advising the King County Commission on Governance on policy alternatives that would reduce the criminal justice budget and develop more fair and effective policies. CSJ arranged for testimony by representatives of the King County Alliance for Human Services and Seattle Human Services Coalition (representing over 300 organizations) and secured their signatures on CSJ proposals to the Commission. CSJ spent 7 months researching, advising, and testifying before the Commission. The commission adopted many of CSJ's recommendations in its 58 page report.

CSJ is committed to ensuring that community input is at the core of policy change initiatives. To this end, CSJ has played a leading role in convening three successful strategy summits for criminal justice reform related issues.

Criminal Justice Strategy Summit 2003
CSJ convened its 3rd annual Criminal Justice Summit in 2003. This Summit was intentionally much smaller and more focused than the previous two Summits but still included 70 of the most active organizers on around a wide range of drug policy reform and was a major step forward in analyzing the necessary steps in building a statewide nation. The ACLU, November Coalition and the Western Prison Project all made presentations about building statewide networks and discussed opportunities for collaboration.

Forum on Race, Class and the War on Drugs 2002
CSJ also collaborated in convening an all-day forum on Race, Class and the War on Drugs that was attended by 250 people. Hosted by the King County Bar Association, Loren Miller Bar Assn., ACLU and Washington Defender Assn., speakers included local and national drug reform experts, politicians, community organizers, young people, President of the King County Judges' Assn., Chief of Staff to the County Prosecutor, a senior member of the Seattle Police Department, public defenders, and ex-offenders.

Criminal Justice Reform Summit 2001
CSJ took the lead in convening a successful two-day Criminal Justice Reform Summit (www.reformnetwork.org). Based on the Critical Resistance conference at Columbia University in 2001, the event included 250 organizers and policy-makers and 35 panels and workshops. It was endorsed by 50 organizations and coalitions including drug policy and criminal justice reform groups, AFL-CIO, faith groups, law schools, public defender agencies, social service agencies and Jobs with Justice (110 member organizations of which CSJ is a member and who have adopted criminal justice reform as one of their top 3 campaigns in each of the past 2 years)

Fifteen campaigns were highlighted at the Summit. Strategic relationships were formed and consensus was reached on upcoming campaigns. The Summit was held 2 months before the Washington State legislative session and our network was able to support legislation to shorten drug sentences and allocate savings to treatment and block a $250 million prison for the second year in a row. Other campaigns have been successful due to the momentum and synergy of the Summit.