Reports and Resources

Access Denied in Oregon is a PSJ report on barriers faced by people with a past felony conviction

PSJ has an Oregon Transition Resource Guide. You can also find a copy at the bottom of this page. This guide does not list every resource in Oregon, but it provides a helpful place to begin looking for transitional resources in the state.

Email me with any new resources you think would be helpful.

Governor's Re-entry Council

  • In 2008, Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski convened the Governor's Reentry Council to explore the barriers people face reentering the community from prison.
  • Visit the Oregon Re-entry Wiki, a collaboration of resources from the state and our community partners.

General Re-entry Resources

  • Repaying Debts is a report from the Re-entry Policy Council that examines court imposed debt as a barrier to reentry.
  • National Employment Law Project (NELP) Second Chance Labor Project works with advocates, policy makers and people with criminal records to ensure a more fair and effective system of employment screening for criminal records. The Project seeks to protect public safety and security while promoting the rehabilitative value of work and the basic employment rights of all workers, including those with criminal records.
  • The Legal Action Center has an advocacy toolkit to work on expunging a past felony conviction. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, there are over 64 million criminal records on file with criminal justice repositories around the United States. That means that a high percentage of the nation's adult population lives a substantial portion of their lives having a criminal record. If you are facing this barrier, this might be helpful information for you.
  • The Legal Action Center and the National H.I.R.E. Network's report, National Blueprint for Reentry, offers legislative and executive policy recommendations for the United States to reinforce its commitment to giving people a second chance, restoring families and communities, and decreasing the recidivism rates of people with criminal histories by increasing employment and higher education opportunities within prisons and in the communities.
  • Funded by the Second Chance Act, the National Reentry Resource Center provides information about re-entry to individuals, nonprofits and government agencies.

LAC Offers Free Anti-Discrimination Webinar Series

  • LAC launches its first ever "Know Your Rights" webinar series: Anti-Discrimination Laws Protecting People with Alcohol and Drug Problems and Criminal Records. The free, five-part series covers anti-discrimination laws protecting people with alcohol/drug histories and criminal records.

City and County Hiring Reforms - National Employment Law Project

  • In a report, City and County Hiring Reforms, National Employment Law Center (NELP) outlines how several urban areas across the United States have adopted significant new policies to limit discrimination in city and county jobs against people with criminal records.

Tips for your visit to the Parole Board

These are two links I found while searching for tips for a parole board hearing. The information from both sites would be helpful to send to your loved one who is about to see the parole board

• One is to a site “Free Advice”
• And the other is to a Canadian site “National Parole Board”

“Public safety and assisting the offender in reintegrating into the community are the most important considerations in any parole decision. Is the inmate willing and ready to re-enter the community as a law-abiding citizen and contribute to a safer society? Can the inmate’s release back into society harm the general public? All relevant information is considered.”

Restoring your eligibility to vote

• Oregon voting rights - In Oregon, people with felony convictions have the right to vote. Only people in DOC custody, in prison, cannot vote.
• US Department of Justice - information about restoring voting rights

 ROAR (Re-entry Organizations and Resources)

  • Learn more about ROAR and how to get involved