The Center for Social Justice began as a project of Jam for Justice, a Washington State 501c3 non-profit, in 2000. CSJ was created when momentum was growing for analyzing opportunities to change the criminal justice system. Through network building and strategic organizing around issues such as criminal justice, CSJ began by promoting cooperation, collaboration and mobilization on a decentralized and non-hierarchical basis for community based social change. CSJ has worked with numerous organizations over the years, and has been integral in bringing Washington State to the leading edge in broad-based, community-led, movement-building.
CSJ believes that by working together, increasing collaboration, and sharing tools, the effectiveness of each individual and organization will be improved. CSJ has launched projects utilizing this model to facilitate collaborative working groups concerning specific social justice issues. In it's work, CSJ seeks to expand the outreach, agenda, and effectiveness of each individual, and strengthen combined efforts.
Due to the explosive growth of the judicial and law enforcement budgets in King County, the King County Council appointed an influential panel of 11 people to study alternatives to current policy and budget priorities in 2003. CSJ board member, Sharon Maeda, was invited to serve on the Commission.
Movement and Network Building
CSJ has developed strategies and key relationships to ensure that
community organizations are at the center of emerging social justice
movements. CSJ staff and members of the Board of Directors have
traveled to Porto Alegre for the World Social Forums in 2002, 2003,
& 2005. Currently, CSJ is working with the planning team for the
Northwest Social Forum and United States Social Forums.
Work with the King County Commission on Governance
CSJ
was invited to play the leading role in advising the Commission on
policy alternatives that would reduce the criminal justice budget and
develop more fair and effective policies. CSJ spent 7 months
researching, advising and testifying before the Commission. The
commission adopted many of CSJ's recommendations in its 58 page report [1].
In
addition, 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.
Stopping New Prisons and Releasing Current Prisoners
CSJ took a leading role in blocking a $250 million prison in each of
the 2002, 2003, & 2004 legislative sessions, and is continuing this
campaign in the 2005 legislative session, based on economic conditions
and sentencing reform. Limiting the number of prison beds will
challenge the growth of the Prison Industrial Complex, and continue to
create leverage for sentencing reform
Sentencing Reform Opportunities
Modest reductions in drug sentences and early releases were made in the
2002-2004 legislative sessions, through the work of CSJ and others.
Ongoing analyses continue in the state legislature and county
government to recommend reductions in the sentences for various
offenses. New opportunities for community input in meaningful change in
sentence reform were opened.
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 of Washington [2], the November Coalition [3], and the Western Prison Project [4] all
made presentations about building statewide networks and discussed
opportunities for collaboration.
Forum on Race, Class and the War on Drugs 2002
CSJ 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 [5] 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.