California’s Largest Criminal Justice Organization Will Be Run By A Black Woman

Californians for Safety and Justice (CSJ), the state’s largest criminal justice advocacy organization, announced Tinisch Hollins will be its new executive director.

Hollins, a San Francisco native, previously served as a state director for Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice (CSSJ). The California Baptist University alum will be the first Black woman and crime survivor to direct the company.

In her role, Hollins will be tasked with ensuring victims of crime are part of the conversations on public safety. Hollins, who lost two of her brothers within five years due to violence has successfully fought for increased protections and support for crime victims in the past.

Hollins and others pushed the state to pass historic legislation extending employment leave for survivors of violence as well as allowing victims to terminate leases if they no longer feel safe at home following a crime. She also played a pivotal role in the defeat of Proposition 20, which sought to repeal numerous criminal justice reforms.

“When it comes to advocating for and delivering on a new vision for public safety, Californians deserve an empathetic, strategic leader who understands what’s at stake,” Lenore Anderson, founder of Californians for Safety and Justice and president of Alliance for Safety and Justice said in a statement. “Tinisch Hollins’ deep understanding of what communities in our state need to be safe and her long-term commitment to being a servant leader make her the right person to deliver safety for Californians. Tinisch can mobilize communities most impacted, and has proven that she can compel lawmakers to act. Countless California families will benefit from her leadership — and thousands already have.”

The CSJ organization has played a pivotal role in criminal justice reform in the state. In the past decade, the organization has reduced the state’s prison population by 50,000 people through the passing of two propositions and other legislative changes. CSJ also secured funding for trauma recovery centers, which provide counseling and other services to help underserved victims of violent crimes and helped expand protections once exclusively available to domestic violence or sexual assault victims.

“It’s an honor to lead this incredible organization, which has already accomplished so much in California,” Hollins said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to adding to our winning record for communities and solidifying California’s position as a national leader of criminal justice reform.”