Beyond These Walls Supports LGBTQIA2S+ People Incarcerated in the Pacific Northwest
Beyond These Walls staff and board members
The holidays were just over a month ago, and many of us are just getting around to recycling the cards from friends and family across the country. There is nothing like a personal note and update from a loved one doing well during such a busy season.
For those incarcerated in one of Oregon or Washington’s jails or prisons, they often receive nothing or very little in personal mail, which is especially difficult during the holiday season. And that’s exactly how the Portland-based organization Beyond These Walls got their start: holiday cards.
Founded in 2011 as a project of the National LGBTQ Task Force, Beyond These Walls started as a project to send cards to LGBTQ people incarcerated during the holidays and quickly expanded to building community with LGBTQ family and friends living behind bars. Beyond These Walls received hundreds of letters of thanks and cries for help and, as their project grew, they developed an understanding of what incarcerated LGBTQIA2S+ people need. Over the years Beyond These Walls has evolved into a robust community of people offering a number of programs both inside and outside prisons.
Beyond These Walls (BTW) is a 501(c)3 organization that works to achieve justice and liberation for LGBTQIA2S+ people incarcerated in the Pacific Northwest and the world through advocacy, service and organizing.
Approximately 124,000 adults self-identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual in U.S. prisons and jails, and over 6,000 adults self-identify as transgender in state and federal prisons. 7,300 LGBTQ+ youth are incarcerated, which is double their share of the general population. (Source: the Sentencing Project)
A Beyond These Walls Success Story
Angel, a 79-year-old Indigenous transgender woman, emerged into a drastically changed world after 35 years of being incarcerated. Her journey was fraught with challenges unique to her identity and circumstances. Upon her release, Angel faced a daunting reality: a society vastly different from the one she left, with no immediate support system in place. This is where Beyond the Walls stepped in, not just as an organization, but as a community of support and empathy.
Beyond These Walls began with addressing the most fundamental needs. They assisted Angel in obtaining essential identification documents, a process often complicated for transgender individuals, especially those with a long gap in their public records. They also provided Angel with clothing that respected and represented her gender identity, helping her to start her new life with dignity and self-respect. Housing, a critical need for anyone reentering society, was also secured, offering Angel a safe and welcoming environment to call home. The support from BTW proved invaluable in helping Angel reintegrate into society, not just physically, but emotionally and socially, embodying the essence of true community support.
With four staff members and 12 volunteers, BTW invests in the leadership, skill development and societal reentry of incarcerated LGBTQIA2S+ people. Beyond These Walls is one of 18 organizations selected last year as part of Northwest Health Foundation’s Justice Reinvestment Equity Program (JREP).
A few of BTW’s successes from 2023:
Opening of BTW House, a program for LGBTQIA2S+ people releasing from prison
40 care packages for transgender people releasing from prison
$24,000 in direct cash aid for people releasing from prison
Plus, LGBTQIA+ related training to Washington Department of Corrections reentry teams
Heading into 2024, with resources from the Justice Reinvestment Equity Program, BTW are excited to grow their reentry services program to better serve their community members, with a particular priority of serving QTBIPOC (queer and transgender Black, Indigenous and people of color) members. BTW consistently hears from people all over Oregon how difficult it is to find housing right after release. Many of the housing options outright exclude transgender people or are not safe for LGBTQIA2S+ people, especially those who are BIPOC or AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander). BTW will operate a transitional housing program that allows for 8-10 people, as well as hire a statewide housing coordinator for people being released outside of the tri-county area.
BTW’s goals are to connect their residents with resources and stabilize their basic needs, connect participants to more stable housing, and help them build community connections and engage in leadership development.
Welcome, Beyond These Walls, to the JREP Cohort!
The Justice Reinvestment Equity Program (JREP) supports culturally specific organizations and culturally responsive services in communities most harmed and least helped by Oregon’s criminal legal system. JREP seeks to elevate organizations that have been overlooked by traditional funding streams with the goals of reducing incarceration and racial disparities in the criminal legal system, promoting healing and advancing community safety in Oregon. Learn more about JREP.