ABOUT US
The Health Justice Recovery Alliance (HJRA) was formed in the wake of Oregon’s historic passage of Measure 110 — the Drug Addiction Treatment & Recovery Act — by many of the same organizations that led the successful “Yes on 110” ballot measure campaign. Our coalition came together with a shared mission: to ensure that this first-in-the-nation policy would be implemented fully, fairly, and in alignment with the needs of the communities most harmed by the war on drugs.
Our mission was clear and urgent: to center care, equity, and the voices of those most harmed by the drug war — especially Black, Latino, Indigenous, rural, and low-income communities — in how the law was rolled out.
For five years, HJRA served as the primary statewide advocacy organization advancing Measure 110’s promise: replacing punishment with care, expanding access to lifesaving services, and prioritizing funding for culturally-specific, community-rooted support. We worked alongside harm reduction and recovery providers, peer-led groups, and advocacy organizations across Oregon to bring that promise to life.
We didn’t just advocate for change — we carried it into communities across Oregon, one conversation, one connection at a time.
OUR VALUES
CENTERING THOSE DIRECTLY IMPACTED
We believe people most directly impacted by drug law enforcement and who bear the brunt of arrests and incarceration, primarily Black, Indigenous, Latino, and other communities of color, as well as people who use drugs or struggle with drug addiction should be centered in decision-making.
BUILDING COLLECTIVE POWER
While communities of color have been the target of the War on Drugs, we also recognize that Racist systems of oppression negatively impact all people, across lines of race and identity. We acknowledge the legacy of our historic response to drugs and strive to build power and solidarity across race, class, gender identity, and geography (urban/suburban/rural) to advocate for more just drug policies.
ACKNOWLEDGING THE ROLE OF RACISM IN DRUG POLICY
We believe in the rejection and dismantling of drug laws that were designed to target, oppress, control and marginalize people and communities of color, and that are infected with racism and bias. We work to heal and repair the harms caused to individuals and communities by racialized drug laws and policies.
ADDRESSING THE FULL NEEDS OF PEOPLE WHO USE DRUGS
We believe in the innate humanity and dignity of people who use drugs. Their basic needs should be met regardless of whether they are able or willing to abstain from drug use. It is important to provide meaningful access to health care, harm reduction services, and effective, evidence-based, culturally specific, non-judgmental, and non-coercive treatment and recovery services. This would include housing, employment, and public benefits and other social services.
