Participatory Justice (PJ) is a left-of-center group based in Spokane, Washington, that advocates for the end of mass incarceration and supports campaigns for the release of specific female racial minority convicted felons.

Participatory Justice is a part of the participatory defense movement and the National Participatory Defense Network. “Participatory defense” refers to a method of activism in which communities attempt to sway judicial outcomes through protests and campaigns.

As of March 2024, PJ’s web presence consists of a Linktree page and an Instagram page. ¹

Campaigns

Leah Eggleson

Participatory Justice supported the release of Leah Eggleson. In June 2020, Eggleson, a mixed-race woman, was charged with attempted murder, assault, and unlawful possession of a firearm after shooting her ex-boyfriend, whom Eggleson characterized as abusive. Prior to the shooting, Eggleson claimed she was held hostage in her ex-boyfriend’s apartment for two days, during which time she was choked and beaten. Eggleson pled not guilty and received support from her local community in Pierce County, Washington, who raised $1,000,000 to pay her bail. ^{2 3 4}

In May 2022, Eggleson was acquitted on all charges except unlawful possession of a firearm, for which she was sentenced to 11 months’ time already served. Eggleson was released in November 2022. ^{5 6}

Maddesyn George

PJ supports the release of Maddesyn George. In November 2021, George was sentenced to 78 months in prison for voluntary manslaughter and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, “George admitted that she had killed Kristopher ‘Buddy’ Graber in a dispute over money and drugs that George stole from Graber the night before. George also admitted in her plea agreement that she had not acted in self-defense.” ^{7 8}

The Free Maddesyn George website characterizes the inciting event as George “defending herself against a white man who raped and threatened her” and says that she took a plea deal due to prosecutorial pressure. George is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Washington. ^{9 10 11}

SB 5561

PJ organized a letter-writing campaign to discourage the passage of Washington Senate Bill 5561, which permits greater restrictions on firearm ownership for ex-felons. According to PJ, the bill would disproportionately target racial minorities, especially Native American hunters, and claimed that there is no evidence that ex-felons who attain firearms legally have significant reoffending problems. ¹²

Leadership

Participatory Justice was founded by Kristina Jorgensen. Jorgensen, who is Ethiopian and European, was a social worker from February 2020 to April 2023, and is a former program coordinator of the Young Women’s Christian Association. In 2020, Jorgensen co-founded the Survivors Justice Coalition to work with Washington state Representative Tarra Simmons (D-WA) on introducing a bill to reduce prison sentencing. In 2016, Jorgensen joined the board of Housing Hope, a nonprofit low-income housing group. ^{13 14 15}

A description of Jorgensen states that her “purpose is to disrupt systems of oppression, racism and violence built from white supremacy and patriarchy, and to work towards justice that recognizes people as whole humans.” ^{16 17}

Funding

Participatory Justice accepts donations through Scholar Fund, a fundraising organization based in Seattle, Washington, focused on communities that are “typically underserved, including but not limited to: Black, Undocumented, Low-Income, Women, and traditionally underrepresented communities.” ^{18 19}

1. “participatoryjustice.” Instagram. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://www.instagram.com/participatoryjustice/.
2. “participatoryjustice.” Instagram. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://www.instagram.com/participatoryjustice/.
3. Oron, Guy. “Community members mobilize in support of survivor of domestic violence.” Real Change. June 8, 2022. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://www.realchangenews.org/news/2022/06/08/community-members-mobilize-support-survivor-domestic-violence.
4. Fassler, Ella. “A Survivor of Violence and Her Siblings Share How the Legal System Punishes Them.” Truthout. April 18, 2022. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://truthout.org/articles/a-survivor-of-violence-and-her-sibling-share-how-the-legal-system-punishes-them/.
5. Oron, Guy. “Community members mobilize in support of survivor of domestic violence.” Real Change. June 8, 2022. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://www.realchangenews.org/news/2022/06/08/community-members-mobilize-support-survivor-domestic-violence.
6. “Liberate Leah Defense Campaign.” Facebook. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/liberateleah/.
7. “Free Maddesyn George.” Free Maddesyn George. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://truthout.org/articles/a-survivor-of-violence-and-her-sibling-share-how-the-legal-system-punishes-them/.
8. “Colville Tribal Member Sentenced to 78 Months After Robbing and Killing Victim.” U.S. District Attorney’s Office. November 18, 2021. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/colville-tribal-member-sentenced-78-months-after-robbing-and-killing-victim.
9. “Free Maddesyn George.” Free Maddesyn George. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://truthout.org/articles/a-survivor-of-violence-and-her-sibling-share-how-the-legal-system-punishes-them/.
10. “Colville Tribal Member Sentenced to 78 Months After Robbing and Killing Victim.” U.S. District Attorney’s Office. November 18, 2021. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/colville-tribal-member-sentenced-78-months-after-robbing-and-killing-victim.
11. “Maddesyn’s Story.” Free Maddesyn George. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://www.freemaddesyn.com/maddesyns-story.
12. “participatory justice.” Instagram. February 22, 2022. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://www.instagram.com/p/CaTNQYUvwwh/?img_index=1.
13. “Kristina Jorgensen.” JLUSA. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://jlusa.org/leader/kristina-jorgensen/.
14. “Kristina Jorgensen.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-jorgensen-ba457ba7/.
15. Muhlstein, Julie. “New Housing Hope board member was homeless herself.” Herald Net. April 7, 2016. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://www.heraldnet.com/news/new-housing-hope-board-member-was-homeless-herself/.
16. “Kristina Jorgensen.” JLUSA. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://jlusa.org/leader/kristina-jorgensen/.
17. “Kristina Jorgensen.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-jorgensen-ba457ba7/.
18. “Donate to Participatory Justice.” Fundraise. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://funraise.org/give/Scholar-Fund-(Scholarship-Junkies)/402af939-59ea-4fad-aa9d-8291b18c77b5/.
19. “About.” Scholarship Fund. Accessed March 7, 2024. https://www.scholarfundwa.org/about.