• Community Without Conditions
  • COVID hotline for people incarcerated in Oregon and Washington: 503-320-9740
  • BLACK LIVES MATTER
  • Sign up for our 2020 Holiday Card Project HERE!

Supporting LGBTQ Prisoners in the Pacific Northwest

Black Lives Matter Statement of Solidarity

Here at Beyond These Walls we work to support LGBTQ folks who are incarcerated. We have been hearing stories of police brutality and systemic violence for years, especially from our black members. Violence against black people extends far beyond police- it runs deep into the criminal “justice” system. The system is not broken – it was never intended to work for black people. Police and prisons are not the answer. They never will be. They cannot be fixed. We must rethink the ways in which we achieve justice. We have to rethink the idea of justice and what that means for our society.

Our organization is proud to stand with black folks everywhere in our fight for justice. Our liberation, your liberation, is inherently tied to black liberation. We fully support the movements happening all over our country, peaceful or not. We believe Black Lives Matter.

COVID HOTLINE

Our COVID Hotline supports prisoners in Oregon and Washignton. People can call the hotline to get info or report on covid conditions in their prison. This project is done in partnership with five other community organizations: Partnership for Safety and Justice, ACLU of Oregon, Disability Rights Oregon, Basic Rights Oregon and the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.

 

 

 

About Us

Beyond These Walls was founded in 2011 as a project of the National LGBTQ Task Force. We started as a project to send cards to LGBTQ prisoners during the holidays. We decided to try to extend community to our LGBTQ family living behind bars. We did not expect the overwhelming response from prisoners. We received hundreds of letters of thanks and cries for help. As our project grew, our understanding of what prisoners need and were asking for also grew. Over the years we have evolved into a robust community of people offering a number of programs to support LGBTQ prisoners.

We are a Trans led organization with an exclusively LGBTQ staff and advisory committee. We believe in an LGBTQ community without conditions, where we welcome and embrace people trying to be a part of our community, even if they’ve made mistakes. We believe the criminal justice system is inherently flawed and should be completely torn down. We also believe that if people who are locked up are asking us for help right now, we have to answer their calls.

Check out our programs to find out more about what we do.

Our Programs

We support LGBTQ prisoners in a variety of ways.
Contact us here with any questions about our programs.

Case Management

We work to connect prisoners with the resources they request, such as reentry referrals, housing, legal services, advocacy and more.

Holiday Card Project

Every year free world volunteers can send cards of encouragement to LGBTQ people living behind bars during the winter holidays. Sign up here.

Advocacy & Activism

We work in collaboration with our community partners to advocate for various changes. Our newest project is our COVID Hotline for people incarcerated in OR/WA.

Leadership Group

Our leadership group inside of the Oregon State Penitentiary works to empower transgender women imprisoned at the facility. We have two similar groups for gay/bi men located at the Columbia River Correctional Institution and the Oregon State Penitentiary.

Pen Pals

Our pen pal program connects free world volunteers with LGBTQ prisoners as pen pals, the old fashioned way: letter writing. If you are interested in being a pen pal, sign up here:

    Our Team

    Here are the people who make it happen.

    Jullian Rhodes

    Jullian Rhodes

    Jullian is the Resource Coordinator for Beyond These Walls. They provide case management and advocacy services to our LGBTQ+ members in prison.

    Cassie Brighter

    Cassie Brighter

    Cassie facilitates the transgender leadership program. She also manages communications for Beyond These Walls.

    Artemis Walker

    Artemis Walker

    Artemis is the pen pal program coordinator for Beyond These Walls. They connect people in prison with folks in the free world.

    Biff Chaplow

    Biff Chaplow

    Biff is responsible for most of the day-to-day operations of Beyond These Walls. They also handle administration, development and strategic planning.

    Advisory Committee and Board of Directors

    Advisory Committee and Board of Directors

    Our advisory committee is comprised of 8 LGBTQ people currently living in prison. The committee oversees and directs all of our work in conjunction with our board of directors.

    Contact Us

    Find us on Facebook or Instagram

    Beyond These Walls
    PO Box 13006
    Portland, OR 97213

    biff@beyondthesewallslgbt.org
    trystan@beyondthesewallslgbt.org
    carlee@beyondthesewallslgbt.org

    You can also
    contact us here: