Trailblazing Justice

What happens when drone surveillance and DNA collection laws quietly expand under the radar? In this episode of Trailblazing Justice, we break down two alarming bills in the Oregon legislature—one that loosens restrictions on warrantless drone use, and another that allows police to collect DNA from people merely arrested, not convicted. With bipartisan support pushing these bills forward, Bobbin and Zach expose the troubling implications for civil rights, transparency, and government overreach.The Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

Is it possible to meaningfully challenge solitary? In this episode, Bobbin, Mark, Julia, and Zach peel back the layers of Oregon's opaque grievance processes, Supreme Court rulings, and procedural roadblocks that leave those incarcerated with almost no recourse to contest their placement in isolation. Tune in as we trace the history, legal hurdles, and ongoing reform efforts aimed at shining a spotlight on—and ultimately curbing (abolishing!!)—the use of solitary confinement in Oregon.The Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

What should you do if you are engaged by law enforcement when you are on the street? In this episode of Trail Blazing Justice, co-director of the Oregon Innocence Project Kenneth Kreuscher explains the rules for safely asserting your rights and understanding your risks with these three rules: don't trust, don't talk, don't consent. Whether you're a protester, non-citizen, or just someone who wants to understand how to navigate law enforcement interactions, this conversation breaks it down.The Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

What if your right to challenge an unjust imprisonment was the last line of defense against authoritarian rule? In this episode, we trace the ancient roots and modern battles over habeas corpus—from medieval England to Guantanamo Bay, to present-day America—uncovering how this vital legal safeguard is under renewed threat. As political leaders hint at suspending it under dubious claims of “invasion” or “insurrection,” this episode raises an urgent warning: democracy may hinge on whether we protect this fundamental right.The Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

In this episode, we continue our special series on Solitary Confinement by turning our focus to Oregon's only women's prison—Coffee Creek—and the often-overlooked realities of solitary confinement behind its walls. Kyle Black shares firsthand accounts of the degrading strip searches, traumatizing isolation, and the human toll of a system designed to punish, not protect. We explore how solitary is used as a catch-all for everything the prison can't—or won't—address, and ask: who is truly being kept safe?CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussions of suicide, self-harm, and sexual abuse. Listener discretion is advised. If these topics are distressing for you, please take care while listening, and consider skipping this episode if needed. Help is available to anyone struggling with suicidal thoughts. Call 988 to speak to someone today.The Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

Can the press still hold power accountable, or has the media itself become a battleground?In this episode of Trail Blazing Justice, we explore the evolving role of journalism in the age of Trump. Alice Lundell, OJRC's Director of Communication, join us to discuss how the media landscape has changed, the challenges of maintaining truth amid rising disinformation, and why journalism remains essential to justice. The Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

We dive into the tension between democracy and executive overreach. Steve and Bobbin unpack the significance of a recent landmark court order pushing back against Trump's assault on law firms, they draw unsettling parallels between what we are currently seeing at the national level and pre-Nazi Germany, and provide an overview of Due Process and Habeas Corpus. Join us as we explore the enduring importance of the rule of law and civil liberties, and its connection to democracy.The Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

What happens when the law is weaponized to dismantle itself?We're joined this week by Steve Wax—former federal public defender and now Senior Counsel at the Oregon Justice Resource Center—to explore how legal norms and institutions are being deliberately unraveled.From politicized prosecutions to defiance of court orders, this episode lays bare the calculated erosion of the systems meant to hold power in check.This isn't politics as usual—it's a warning of what can come nextThe Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

This week on Trailblazing Justice, we pull back the curtain on America's immigration system — and it's not what most people think. Our special guest, Erin McKee, from the Immigrant Rights Project, joins us to unpack how Oregon's sanctuary laws actually keep everyone safer, and why the federal government has virtually unchecked power over noncitizens (Erin helps us by wading through the vernacular of immigration law!). We also break down the alarming national shifts—from ancient laws being dusted off to threats against birthright citizenship—and why ignoring these moves now could open the door to civil rights erosion for everyone. Spoiler: this isn't just about immigration anymore.The Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

Trail Blazing Justice is doing a deep dive into the use of solitary confinement in Oregon prisons by producing a series on this important issue. TBJ welcomes guest Mark Wilson, who spent over three decades incarcerated, and has personal experience with solitary confinement. Mark is now out and a Legal Assistant/Policy Associate with the OJRC. Join us as Mark shares his insights and experiences and pulls back the curtain on practices that corrections officials would rather the public not know about and affirms what we all know, that solitary confinement is torture.The Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

Trail Blazing Justice is back once again! After a year-plus hiatus, OJRC is resuming the weekly Trail Blazing Justice podcast. In this episode, Bobbin discusses the ongoing Oregon 2025 legislative session with Zach, Julia, and The Kyles. They first explain the basics of Oregon's legislature and sessions, before diving into the several bills that OJRC is sponsoring during this session.The Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the 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.

Bobbin, Zach, Justin, Julia, and Kyle discuss what dying with a terminal illness looks like in Oregon's prison system, Oregon's Compassionate Release process as it stands now, and  how it badly needs to be refmedLink:“Relieving the Crisis of Dying in Prison,” a report by OJRC, March 2023The Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

This week, Bobbin and Justin are joined by Julia Yoshimoto, director of OJRC's Women's Justice Project, as they dive into the recently published Gender Informed Practices Assessment (GIPA) of Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.Links:Gender-Informed Practices Assessment (GIPA) report about Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, by the Women's Justice InitiativeA Serious Response to a Sobering Reality: OJRC response to the GIPA reportThe Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

Bobbin, Zach, and Justin discuss the history and mythology of sheriffs in America, and take a deep dive into the growing Constitutional Sheriffs movement in Oregon and across the country. They also give their take on the past week's Legislative Days hearings at the Oregon capitol.Links:Video of Legislative Days hearing by Oregon Senate Judiciary committee (Sept 27, 2023)Video of Legislative Days hearing by Oregon House Judiciary committee (Sept 28, 2023)"I Am the Law: The Rise of Oregon's Constitutional Sheriffs," a report by the Oregon Justice Resource CenterGender-Informed Practices Assessment (GIPA) report about Coffee Creek Correctional Facility“Death By a Thousand Cuts: Stories from Inside Coffee Creek Correctional Facility,” by the Oregon Justice Resource CenterThe Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

Bobbin, Zach, and Justin react to this week's announcement that Ellen Rosenblum will not be seeking re-election as Oregon's Attorney General. They share their experiences dealing with the Department of Justice under Rosenblum's tenure, and the civil rights that her agency has—and has not—stood up for. They also discuss a news story about a sheriff in Pacific County, Washington, who lacked certification as a police officer, and the growing “I am the Law” attitude among sheriffs.Links:"I Am the Law: The Rise of Oregon's Constitutional Sheriffs," a report by the Oregon Justice Resource CenterOregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum will not seek reelection (OPB)Oregon Settles Lawsuit, Forces Out DOJ Civil Rights Attorney (OPB)Johnson Says Oregon DOJ Didn't Show 'Loyalty' In Civil Rights Case (OPB)Oregon Department of Justice Settles Harassment Claims Against Two of Its Top Attorneys (Willamette Week)The Trail Blazing Justice podcast is a production of the Oregon Justice Resource Center.

Bobbin and Zach react to the latest news about U.S. Bureau of Prisons director Colette Peters', testimony before the US Senate Judiciary committee, and a “trophy photo” taken by police officers with a caught escapee.Links mentioned during the podcast:OJRC's Op-Ed about Colette Peters' Tenure with the Oregon Department of CorrectionsOJRC report: "ODOC: Agency in Crisis"

In this episode, OJRC re-launches its weekly Trail Blazing Justice podcast with an introduction to two of its new contributors, Zach Winston and Justin Low. Zach, Justin, and Bobbin Singh, OJRC's Executive Director, discuss their background in criminal justice issues and goals for upcoming episodes of the podcast.

Listen in to an interview from one of the community members that was on the frontlines during the 2020 George Floyd protests in our special Stop Tear-Gaslighting Us series. We are sitting down with community members who hit the streets in 2020 in Portland to look back and look at where we are now. This week, Beatrix Li, our Communications & Policy Associate, takes a break from interviews to sum up the 2020 summer of protests for racial justice, shares their own experience, the police budget, reviews where the issue of policing is at now since, and abolition.(She also talks about cyberpunk at some point.)

Listen in to an interview from one of the community members that was on the frontlines during the 2020 George Floyd protests in our special Stop Tear-Gaslighting Us series. We are sitting down with community members who hit the streets in 2020 in Portland to look back and look at where we are now. We are joined this week by Jahdi, an artist, youth mentor, and community activist who was present at the demonstrations.Jahdi recalls his experience, the police violence he endured, and the trauma the community experienced. 

Alice Lundell, our Communications Director talks with two civil rights attorneys to ask them about their perspective on the recent Supreme Court decisions and its' implications on Oregonians. Juan Chavez, our Civil Rights Project Director & Attorney, and Athul Acharya, Public Accountability Executive Director & attorney share their thoughts on the overturning of Roe, Miranda rights, ability to sue the federal government when federal officers violate constitutional rights, and other concerning issues from the aftermath of the SCOTUS claims. Juan and Athul weigh in on how important taking our fight to the district courts are, and what they foresee in the next term.

Bobbin is joined by our Investigative Research Associate, Justin Low, who was behind our recently published reports on  Crime and Safety in Oregon in 2022: Myths, Facts, and Solutions and  ODOC: Agency in Crisis. Bobbin and Justin unpack why it's important for elected officials and media outlets to be driven by data, not fear-mongering tough-on-crime rhetoric that is not based in research. They talk about the correlation between police budgets and crime rates (hint: there is none!). Justin talks about what he has learned in his research on ODOC and the 436 media reports on civil right violations and concerning issues raised that the agency is responsible for.Read our reports here: https://ojrc.info/reports

Join us for our fifth interview in our special Stop Tear-Gaslighting Us series. We are sitting down with community members who hit the streets in the 2020 George Floyd protests in Portland to look back and look at where we are now. We are joined this week by Eliza Y., community member who was present at the demonstrations.Eliza recalls their experience, the violence they endured, and the trauma the community experienced. 

Bobbin is joined by our Prison Outreach Coordinator and Policy Associate, Trevor Walraven and formerly incarcerated advocates Dr. Scott Spencer-Wolff and Kyle Hedquist. Reflecting on our recent report, ODOC: Agency in Crisis, Bobbin leads the conversation on their pipe dream of the “Norway model,” which is an attempt to humanize prisons, which poses the question of that'd even possible? They talk about the failures of ODOC which are often sanitized in untruthful language, like when ODOC Director Collette Peters called the disastrous wildfire evacuations of 2020 as an “absolute success.” Dr. Scott Spencer-Wolff, Kyle, and Trevor share about their experiences and insights as formerly incarcerated people.

Join us for our forth interview in our special Stop Tear-Gaslighting Us series. We are sitting down with community members who hit the streets in the 2020 George Floyd protests in Portland to look back and look at where we are now. We are joined this week by Simona, community member who was present at the demonstrations.Simona recalls her experience, the violence she endured, and the trauma the community experienced. 

Join us for our third interview in our special Stop Tear-Gaslighting Us series. We are sitting down with community members who hit the streets in the 2020 George Floyd protests in Portland to look back and look at where we are now. We are joined this week by Seemab Hussaini, a local Muslim community organizer. Seemab shares about a vivid, unforgettable memory of teargas Tuesday and recounts the amount of violence that we saw from law enforcement that has gone unaccounted for. Seemab and Beatrix talk about the conversations that were happening in immigrant and refugee communities about protests, and he shares his experience with bridging an anti-fascist movement with the Muslim community in Portland. They talk about why the protest community fractured, the specific role community organizations play in movements (hint: we need diversity of tactics!), the political aftermath, and his feelings towards Mayor Wheeler.

Bobbin is joined by Zach Winston, Policy Director at OJRC to open Oregon's junk drawer only to find the Oregon Department of Corrections recent presentation at the legislature. In an assortment of bad practices, your hosts talk about the now well-understood Trumpian tactic of misdirection and sanitization that agencies like ODOC too frequently employ. They talk about much harm was done to 12,000+ incarcerated Oregonians during the historic yet expected 2020 wildfire season and 2021 heatwave, of which Peters called their lack of and a disaster of an evacuation plan "an absolute success" because no was killed. As ODOC operates as an unchecked agency, by design, Bobbin and Zach riff off some more failures of the Oregon prison system, and how adults in custody ultimately suffer and are not thought of or cared for by elected officials.

Join us for our second interview in our special Stop Tear-Gaslighting Us series. We will be sitting down with community members who hit the streets in the 2020 George Floyd protests in Portland to look back and look at where we are now. We are joined this week by Rabbi Ariel Stone, of Interfaith Clergy Resistance.Rabbi Stone shares her experience on the ground as a clergy witness, the flood of memories of Portland police and federal agents who harmed community members, and how she thinks the world of protesters. Rabbi Stone talks about where we are now, with the City's response and lack of commitment to divesting in policing.

Introducing a new podcast series... Stop Tear-Gaslighting Us. We will be sitting down with community members who hit the streets in the 2020 George Floyd protests in Portland to look back and look at where we are now. We are joined by Editor-in-Chief of We Out Here Magazine and activist Mac Smiff this week.We talk about what it was like on the ground, bad memories of teargas and police violence, misconceptions about Portland protesters, media portrayal of the protests, and whether the goals of the protests were met. 

Bobbin and Eric host… two guests today! We are joined by OJRC Policy Director Zach Winston and Carl MacPherson, Executive Director of Metropolitan Public Defender. Your hosts unpack the week in news on the Supreme Court decision on ineffective counsel in Shinn. V Ramirez and Jones, reflect on the 2nd year of George Floyd's death anniversary, and process the devastating mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Zach talks about why a carceral response in more police officers, SRO's, and arming teachers has been and would be ineffective in preventing gun violence. Carl, our guest, shares about his work in public defense, the problematic culture that exists, and why prosecutors working with law enforcement is not good practice. Bobbin, Eric, Zach, and Carl end on talking about the binary we've created in this country of “good and bad people,” and why we must dispel fears about incarcerated individuals because as Bryan Stevenson says, we are more than the worst thing that we have done.

Bobbin and Eric host Lakayana, Executive Director of Word is Bond, who works with young Black men and boys on leadership development, and more notably, spearheaded walking tours around Portland called “In My Shoes,” where their ambassadors led community members, including elected officials through Portland neighborhoods through their experiences as a Black man. Bobbin, Eric, and Lakayana process the white supremacist terrorism in Buffalo, and how it is not an isolated incident, but a feature of the the value system of the country. They talk about the mainstreaming of extremist and white supremacist ideology, and how this will lead to more violence. Lakayana talks about how centralizing community well-being should be the focus rather than the police. Lastly, Eric, Bobbin, and Lakayana talk about why police "unions" prevent police accountability and ask the question, are they really "unions."

Listen in as Bobbin and Eric reflect back on the week in news. Bobbin responds to DA Paige Clarkson's campaign mailer where she attacks with tough-on-crime rhetoric, where she vilifies and demonizes public defenders and those with criminal records. Bobbin talks about his resignation from the Chief Justice's Criminal Justice Advisory Committee in response to DA Clarkson's actions. The hosts talk about OJRC's clients winning a settlement against the City in regards to losing their property during sweeps. Bobbin and Eric talk about larger themes about we criminalize the poor on the premise of…poverty itself. Eric and Bobbin continue the conversation on the public defense crisis.

We're happy to announce Eric is back! (For now! Public defense crisis willing.) Bobbin & Eric take a long sigh at the past week in news and talk about the overturning of Roe. v. Wade draft leak and why it is an attack on civil rights. We take a look back on history and where we see ourselves headed; and Bobbin reminds us why it's important to commit ourselves in the long haul to civil liberties and community well-being. Bobbin & Eric talk about Senator Ron Wyden's inappropriate comments on Governor Kate Brown's clemency decisions.

Bobbin and Juan chop it up as Juan has been appointed our sub co-host, as Eric is slammed in the public defense crisis. Looking at local news articles that seem a little more like Fox News headlines, your hosts talk about Senator Wyden's fear-and-anger politics in his comments on Governor Brown's clemency decision.  As Juan is our Civil Rights Project Director and Attorney and involved in multiple lawsuits against the City of Portland on police violence, he and Bobbin talk about how Portland has a rogue police force and some ongoing litigation. Juan tells us about his client's case, which asks the question: spitting on the street or threats of violence by Proud Boys, which is PPB more worried about?Produced by Beatrix Li, OJRC Communications & Policy Associate

Eric will be back next week, but until then, Bobbin and Beatrix discuss OPB's recent article on perceptions of crime and the Oregon midterm election, and how perceptions from candidates and Portlanders and data on crime rates do not necessarily match. Beatrix sighs at the over-bloated police budget that Mayor Wheeler and President Biden (who made an appearance in Portland) are signing off on; which leads to Bobbin and Beatrix talking about bad police reforms. We are joined by a special guest, Judge Darleen Ortega who serves in Position 3 of the Oregon Court of Appeals. As the first woman of color and the only Latina to serve as an Appellate Judge, Judge Ortega shares her experience and what it means to serve justice as a judge. Judge Ortega talks about challenges in the system, and how asking good questions grounds her work. Bobbin and Judge Ortega talk about law schools in Oregon (where she teaches at all three schools!). Judge Ortega discusses why it is important to stay proximate to the marginalized to inform her work.Produced by Beatrix Li, Comms. & Policy Associate

As Eric misses today's podcast as the public defense crisis wages on, Bobbin kicks back with Juan to talk about the week in news. Juan and Bobbin unpack the tough-on-crime push for increased police budget and for more officers from the Brooklyn Subway shooting, and how an already bloated budget has failed to prevent gun violence and will continue to fail to meet objectives to keep people safe. The two talk about how community well-being is what prevents crime, not more cops and prisons. Bobbin talks about how DA Kevin Barton failed the women at Coffee Creek by overlooking abuse, and how DA's are buying into the tough-on-crime pathos.

Bobbin is joined by Anthony Pickens (Paralegal/Legal Assistant, OJRC) and Ben Haile (Senior Counsel, Civil Rights Project, OJRC) to discuss solitary confinement in Oregon. Ben unpacks for us solitary confinement as a concept - what it is - and the many names solitary goes by (hint: ODOC's tactics to hide their egregious practices). Ben reminds us that Oregon is violating international standards by placing people in solitary for up to 180 days; international law/standards on solitary codified as the Nelson Mandela Rules states that solitary should be restricted at 15 days. Anthony shares a powerful recounts his experience of solitary confinement as a formerly incarcerated person and shares what he observed in how ODOC implemented it in its prisons. He also details the psychological and physical harms of isolation and what tactics are required to survive it. Ben and Anthony highlight how solitary is counterproductive and makes prisons a more toxic environment and does not reduce, but increases behavioral issues. Finally, Ben talks about how solitary confinement is junk science and being implemented with no oversight or checks on its use.

 Eric is back from his PD flurry of work, so Bobbin and Eric kick it and catch up on the past two weeks in news to talk the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson and…choose not to weigh in on the Oscars. Eric and Bobbin continue the conversation on public defense backlog and crisis, while talking about pay gaps and disparities in the legal system. Eric talks conservative attorney Ginni Thomas and justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Clarence Thomas. Bobbin and Eric discuss if Oregon is indeed a progressive state (conclusion: we can do better.), where we can make change, and why sentencing reform is so important.

As Eric attends to public defense duties, Bobbin is joined by Youth Justice Project Director & Managing Attorney Gabe Newland to talk about youth justice in Oregon. Bobbin and Gabe catch up on this week's news with the Supreme Court nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson, Ted Cruz's buffoonery, and the theater of fear & anger politics. Gabe dives into talking about the adultification of youth in the criminal justice system and how prosecuting children as adults is a cruel practice, and why at the very least, we need to set a minimum age for juvenile prosecution. Gabe and Bobbin discuss SB1008 on Measure 11 cases for youth, Governor Brown's commutations, and why brain science supports the abolition of the juvenile system.Produced by Beatrix Li, Communications & Policy Associate

Our cohost Eric was not able to join us for today's podcast episode, but tune in for a spirited conversation between Bobbin and Franz Bruggemeier, Associate Director of the Civil Rights Project. This week in news, we discuss the indictment of the former Coffee Creek Women's Prison nurse for sexual assault and political prisoner Eric King's case. Franz and Bobbin look back at the nightly police violence during the protests for racial justice after the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Franz recalls the teargas, impact munitions, and how PPB violated basic civil rights of protestors and how all that led to the class action lawsuit against PPB on behalf of Don't Shoot Portland (OJRC is co-counsel on the case). Bobbin and Franz unpack the teargas bill HB4008/HB4131, and why legislators are complicit in normalizing police violence and how their actions work against protecting civil rights. Tear gas is banned in war by international law, but it is something PPB, the City of Portland, and the Oregon State Legislature feel is appropriate to use against Oregonians.Produced by Beatrix Li, Policy & Communications Associate

This week in news, Bobbin & Eric debrief the Legislative Short session, the failure of ODOC to protect women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility from sexual abuse, and The Who-Cares-If-You're-Innocent-Project article that discusses federal judicial nominations/appointments and nominees who have backgrounds as public defenders or working on wrongful convictions...and, one political party is blaming an innocence attorney for the rise in crime rights! Bobbin and Eric re-introduce Post-Conviction Review and State Habeas Corpus, discussing what they are and how, in theory, they provide a check on state actors.=Juan Chavez was not able to join us this week, but we will hear from our Civil Rights Associate Director, Franz Bruggemeier next week to talk about teargas and the lack of accountability in the Portland police.Produced by Beatrix Li, OJRC Policy & Communications Associate

This week, Bobbin and Eric host DA Matt Ellis (Wasco County) and DA John Hummel (Deschutes County) to talk about what DA's do, what it's like to navigate the criminal justice system as a progressive DA, and what makes district attorneys some of the most powerful actors in the criminal justice system. Matt and John unpack ODAA's bad polling done on community perceptions of crime and why tough-on-crime policies and rulings are not the solutions to community well-being.Next week, Eric and Bobbin will host Juan Chavez, Project Director of OJRC's Civil Rights Project to discuss COVID-19 conditions and litigation in Oregon's prisons.Produced by Beatrix Li, OJRC Policy & Communications Associate

 Catch up with Bobbin and Eric on the week in news around the Normandale Park shooting and the City of Portland's failure to protect protestors for racial justice, how Colin Kaepernick launched an initiative for free autopsies to families who lost loved ones to police violence. Eric and Bobbin also discuss the importance of public defenders as a check on police misconduct. Our guest Athul Acharya, Executive Director of Public Accountability, joins us to discuss his work challenging legal doctrines in federal court that prevent public officials from being held accountable, such as Qualified Immunity.Next week, Eric and Bobbin will host DA Matt Ellis and DA John Hummel (the conversation about solitary confinement will be pushed to later).Produced by Beatrix Li, OJRC Communications & Policy Associate

This week in news, Bobbin and Eric discuss what the heck is going on with public defense in Oregon. Alice Lundell, Director of Communication at Oregon Justice Resource Center joins us as our guest to unpack how the media reports on crime, to take a look back on the tough-on-crime backlash after the protests for George Floyd, and discuss how Portland became a national lightning rod for fear-mongering news reporting of what happens when we "defunded" the police (which we didn't.)Produced by Beatrix Li,  Communications and Policy Associate, OJRC

We are back! After a year off, Bobbin and Eric return with their podcast to discuss criminal justice, public defense, and civil rights. In this episode they talk about the past year and hopes for the podcast moving forward. 

This week in news, Bobbin and Eric discuss the recent Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) issued by the Federal Judge Beckerman compelling the State of Oregon to provide vaccines to all Adults in Custody in Oregon prisons and a recent news segment on Koin 6 featuring pro-carceral, anti-racial justice public officials such as John Foote, which prompted the question: are John Foote, ODAA and other pro carceral, anti-racial justice public officials relevant in today's world? Answer: Not really. Bobbin and Eric return to their conversation about sentencing, focusing on reforms passed in 2019: SB 1008 (juvenile justice), SB 1013 (death penalty).