Crime Survivors Program

Our Crime Survivors Program focuses on the issues and needs of crime survivors* (people who are harmed by another person/people during a criminal event) throughout Oregon.  Our goals are simple: to strengthen services for survivors of crime and to promote progressive responses to crime victims’ needs.  We advocate for public safety policies that promote: safety; accountability; crime prevention; healing; rehabilitation; and justice.  In doing so, we work towards safety not only for individual crime survivors, but also for our communities.

If you are a survivor of crime, we are sorry that the crime happened to you.  It was not your fault.  You did not deserve it.  And you are not alone.  Help is available.

* The terms “crime survivor” and “crime victim” are sometimes used interchangeably.  The Crime Survivors Program uses the term “survivor” to reinforce that there is hope for the future. Life may not be the same, but it can be good.  Sometimes, the website uses the term “victim,” particularly when discussing the criminal and juvenile justice systems.  This is because “victim” has a legal definition.  “Victim” is also used when talking about the people who advocate for and assist crime survivors (e.g. “victim advocate,” “victims’ rights,” “crime victim assistance,” etc.).

Program Spotlight

Join the Surge for Oregon’s Public Safety Reform
We are at one of the most critical times in this legislative session regarding the future of smart public safety reform. We need your help. We need to have as many legislators hear directly from their constituents as possible.
Read more
PSJ Members and Allies Testify at the Capitol
PSJ members and allies made a strong showing this past week at hearings for HB 3194, the omnibus reform bill that would modify sentences and reinvest savings into the parts of our public safety infrastructure that need it most.
Read more
Crime Survivors Press Conference
See video
Crime victims and victim advocates gathered at the state capitol on Friday, April 5th, to hold a press conference advocating for a different approach to public safety spending. The message being delivered is clear: crime victims have not been served well by Oregon’s ever-increasing prison spending.
Read more
Youth Justice Lobby Day 2013
Fifty PSJ members and supporters across the state came to our capitol on April 2nd to tell legislators that smart public safety policy needs to keep youth in the juvenile justice system and not in adult jails and prisons.
Read more
How Domestic & Sexual Violence Services Save Lives
Wonder why PSJ is working hard to increase funding for domestic and sexual violence survivors? Watch victim advocates testify about these lifesaving services and join us in advocating for increased access to services that help survivors find safety and rebuild their lives.
Read more
More PSJ Spotlights…