In honor of National Make a Difference to Children Month, this July Spirit Mountain Community Fund is highlighting the Children’s Justice Alliance (CJA), a non-profit organization that seeks to improve outcomes for children whose parents are involved in the criminal justice system. The Children’s Justice Alliance was formed in 2004 to take a programmatic and systemic approach to improving outcomes for children whose parents are involved in the criminal justice system. 

The primary impetus for creating the Children’s Justice Alliance was to give parents and families the tools they need to break the preventable cycle of intergenerational criminality. CJA accomplishes this mission through the following initiatives.

Supporting stable, healthy families
Through the Centers for Family Success and other partnerships statewide, the Children’s Justice Alliance and its programs provide a continuum of comprehensive services to children of those who are involved in the criminal justice system, their parents, and their families.

Creating systems change
Through its policy and research efforts, public information campaigns and community trainings, the Children’s Justice Alliance promotes systems change and an awareness of its goals and mission.

Providing research leadership
Recognizing the importance of evidence-based and evidence-informed programs, the Children’s Justice Alliance, in cooperation with partners such as the Oregon Social Learning Center and Portland State University, actively assesses program results to ensure that services meet clients’ needs and produce reliable outcomes.

Building sustainability through entrepreneurship
The Children’s Justice Alliance promotes organizational self-sufficiency through the development of business ventures.

FAST FACTS:

According to the latest Department of Justice statistics, published in 2008:

• Nationally, more than 1.7 million children under the age of 18 have at least one incarcerated parent.
• 63% of federal inmates and 52% of state inmates have at least one child under the age of 18.
• Between 1991 and 2007, parents held in state and federal prisons increased by 79%. Children of incarcerated parents increased by 80%.
• The number of children under age 18 with a mother in prison more than doubled since 1991.
• Children of criminal justice involved parents use more public services (e.g., TANF, child welfare, juvenile justice) and use them for a long time than do their systems involved peers who do not have criminal justice involved parents.

To learn more about the Children’s Justice Alliance, our program partners or our current projects, please contact us at info@childrensjusticealliance.org or call (503) 977-6399. You may send your written inquiries to:  Children’s Justice Alliance, 7800 SW Barbur Blvd., Suite 2, Portland, OR 97219.