Task Force on Racial Over-Representation in the Criminal Justice System (ROCS) 2001-2002

— Read Multnomah County Media Release

Task Force Mission Statement
Work with community members and criminal justice professionals to identify short-term and long-term strategies to reduce minority over-representation.

Brief history of the ROCS Task Force:

• 1998: LPSCC adopts "overrepresentation of minorities" as a top priority for action, and creates Working Group on Overrepresentation of Minorities in the Criminal Justice System.
  
  
• Oct. 2000: LPSCC Working Group on Overrepresentation publishes report Ensuring Equitable Treatment in the CJ System and creates ROCS Task Force.
  
  
• Nov. 20 2000: First meeting of ROCS Task Force, Co-chaired by Schrunk and Williams.
  
  
• Spring of 2002: ROCS completes their process and provides recommendations. Recommendations from ROCS have been implemented in the Court Work Group (decrease failures to appear to court and an objective pre-trial release criteria), the Alcohol and Drug Work Group (culturally competent and specific treatment services), and the Evaluation Resource Group and Executive Committee (ongoing data collection and analysis).
  
  
• Winter of 2002: The Final Report is Released

Subcommittees and Chairs:
The Task Force wanted to be able to be able to focus on multiple issues and to have meaningful dialogs with the public. Four smaller working groups were created to assist in these efforts. These working groups were:

Arrest: Chair Bernie Giusto, Gresham Police Chief
Court Processes: Chair Michael Ware, Out Font House
Corrections: Chair Bill Feyerherm, Portland State Univ.
Community Outreach: Chair Art Hendricks, Crime Prevention Program, Portland Office of Neighborhood Involvement

Members of the ROCS Task Force were:
Daniel Binns, Citizen
Tiffany Brandreth, Youth Opportunity Center
Woodrow Broadnax, African American Project
Felton Campbell, Pastor
Hongsa Chanthavong, Asian Family Center
Elyse Clawson/Joanne Fuller, Multnomah Co. Dept. Community Justice
John Connors, Metropolitan Public Defenders
Serena Cruz, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2
Jim Ellis, Presiding Judge, Multnomah County Court
Bill Feyerherm, Portland State University
Bernie Giusto, Gresham Police Chief
Art Hendricks, Portland Office of Neighborhood Involvement
Y'Beth Iglesias, Oregon Council for Hispanic Advancement
Roy Jay, African American Chamber of Commerce
Vera Katz, Mayor of Portland
Mark Kroeker, Portland Police Chief
Ray Mathis, Citizens Crime Commission
Dan Noelle, Multnomah County Sheriff
Kris Olson, Former U.S. Attorney
Tawna Sanchez, Native American Youth Association
Donna Sheidun, Black Youth Political Action Committee
Pedro Sosa, VOZ Workers Rights Education Project
Oscar Sweeten-Lopez, Centro Hispano/Hispanic Access Center
Ronita Sutton, Victim Representative
Kay Toran, Volunteers of America
Michael Ware, Out Front House, Inc.
Preston Wong, Office of Neighborhood Involvement

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