Hollins Will be the First Black Woman and First Crime Survivor to Lead California’s Largest Criminal Justice Reform Advocacy Organization  

Jay Jordan named Alliance for Safety and Justice Vice President 

OAKLAND, Calif. – Californians for Safety and Justice (CSJ), California’s largest criminal justice reform advocacy organization today announced that Tinisch Hollins will be its new executive director. Hollins, a San Francisco native who previously led Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice in California as its state director, will be the first Black woman and first crime survivor to lead the organization responsible for many of California’s major criminal justice and community safety 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,” said Lenore Anderson, founder of Californians for Safety and Justice and president of Alliance for Safety and Justice, the national sponsor organization of CSJ. “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.”

In her new role, Hollins will ensure that victims of crime are centered in conversations about public safety. She knows the weight of trauma and violence personally, having lost two of her brothers within five years to violence. First as the Bay Area chapter coordinator of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, and later as its California state director, Hollins successfully fought for increased protections and support for crime victims. Her leadership helped to pass  historic first-in-the-nation legislation that extended employment leave for all survivors of violence, as well as legislation permitting crime victims to terminate their leases if they no longer feel safe in their homes following a crime. Tinisch also played a pivotal leadership role in the defeat of Proposition 20, a regressive ballot measure on the 2020 California ballot that sought to repeal numerous successful criminal justice reforms. Prior to joining CSJ in 2019, Tinisch served in various leadership capacities in local government, including at the San Francisco Human Services Agency and in the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice.  

Californians for Safety and Justice has played a major role in criminal justice reform victories in the state over the past decade, including:

  • Reducing California’s population of people incarcerated by roughly 50,000 by passing Propositions 47 and 57, as well as numerous other legislative changes
  • Securing funding for more than a dozen trauma recovery centers, which provide services to help underserved victims of violent crime to recover from trauma and regain stability
  • Expanding protections once available only to victims of domestic violence or sexual assault to all victims of violence, such as extended employment leave after the incident, and allowing victims of violence to break a lease to relocate so they can feel safe in their homes

“It’s an honor to lead this incredible organization, which has already accomplished so much in California,” said Tinisch Hollins, executive director of Californians for Safety and Justice. “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. There’s so much more we can still do to support communities and crime survivors, building a system better rooted in public health and safety. I’m hungry to get started.”  

CSJ’s current executive director, Jay Jordan, will move over to the national Alliance for Safety and Justice organization to serve as Vice President. After approximately two years as CSJ Executive Director, Jay ushered in nearly a dozen criminal justice reforms. He helped lead successful efforts to defeat Proposition 20, advocate for prison closures, and increase resources for reentry programming in the state. He also co-founded the TimeDone campaign, which organizes people living with past conviction records to eliminate the barriers to opportunity that block them from success. He will continue to support CSJ’s bold policy agenda in his new role as ASJ Vice President, working collaboratively with Tinisch to advance reforms. 

Anderson said: “Jay has been a fantastic leader for CSJ for the last two years and we look forward to seeing his leadership grow across the country.   

About Californians for Safety and Justice

Californians for Safety and Justice (CSJ) is a nonprofit working with Californians from all walks of life to replace prison and justice system waste with common sense solutions that create safe neighborhoods and save public dollars. Through policy advocacy, grassroots mobilization, public education, alliances and support for local best practices, we promote strategies to stop the cycle of crime, reduce reliance on incarceration and build healthy communities. For more information, please visit: safeandjust.org