Trail Blazing Justice Bobbin Singh (Oregon Justice Resource Center)

Was 2023 a year of progress or setback for Oregon’s justice system? Join us as Bobbin, Julia, Zach, and Justin reflect on the year that was, and forecast the road ahead in 2024.


The Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

What is it like to spend the holidays in prison? Join us for the first episode of “Outside Voices”—our special series of discussions with people who have experienced incarceration in Oregon. Bobbin is joined by Angela, Wayne, and two Kyles, as they share stories of how the holiday spirit can persevere in the midst of incarceration.

Links:
Angela’s blog post about Korean food Trail Blazing Moment: Thanksgiving Day 1972: B.B. King performs for inmates at Sing Sing PrisonThe Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

What are Legislative Days, and why are they important? Join us this week as Bobbin, Zach, and Justin demystify these lesser-known legislative meetings and recap some of last week’s justice-related hearings.


Links
  News article of the week: “Law enforcement officials press lawmakers to tighten Oregon’s drug laws”, OPB, Nov. 6, 2023, Oregon Legislative Days hearings:Joint Interim Committee on Addiction and Community Safety ResponseAgenda VideoJoint Committee on Public SafetyAgenda VideoJoint Meeting of the House and Senate Judiciary CommitteesAgendaVideoTrail Blazing Moment: “The House I Live In” documentary (excerpt 1:30:31-1:31:22)The Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

Bobbin, Zach, and Justin welcome Brittney Plesser, co-director of OJRC’s FA:IR Law Project, to discuss her recent report on access to abortion care for those incarcerated in Oregon jails. Join us for an eye-opening look at how the right to an abortion in Oregon depends on whether someone is housed in jail—and in which Oregon jail they happen to be in. 

Links:
“Access for All, In Oregon?: A Review of Abortion Access in Oregon’s County Jails,” (OJRC report) October 2023Article of the Week: “Prosecutors in These States Can Review Sentences They Deem Extreme. Few Do.” The Marshall Project, Oct. 31, 2023Trail Blazing Moment: “True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality” (excerpt 1:22:30-1:23:06)The Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

Marijuana is legal in Oregon, right? Well, not for everyone. For this and other eye-opening insights, join Bobbin, Zach, and Justin as they welcome guest Erin McKee, co-founder of the Oregon Justice Resource Center and co-director of OJRC’s Immigrant Rights Project, to discuss Crimmigration—the intersection of criminal and immigration law in Oregon.
The Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

This week, Bobbin, Julia, Zach and Justin discuss OJRC’s recently published response to the Gender Informed Practices Assessment (GIPA) of Coffee Creek Correctional Facility. Julia outlines key points of the GIPA report, their implications, and OJRC’s recommendations for how the Oregon Department of Corrections must change in order to humanely house and treat the incarcerated.

Links:
“A Serious Response to a ‘Sobering” Reality: OJRC’s Response to the Gender Informed Practices Assessment of Coffee Creek Correctional Facility”The Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.