About Crime Victims United Oregon
We are a grassroots nonprofit founded by people directly affected by violent crime. commitment to fairness, accountability, public safety, and victims' rights. Oregon’s victims’ rights movement has been shaped by decades of determined advocacy by crime victims, survivors, families, and public safety advocates.
Crime Victims United of Oregon has accomplished significant achievements of documented advocacy beginning in 1983, recognizes the importance of this legacy and remains committed to advancing victims’ rights, promoting accountability, supporting meaningful criminal justice reform, and protecting public safety.
Our Mission
Protecting the Rights and Safety of Crime Victims.
We believe every crime victim deserves to be heard, treated with dignity, informed of their rights, and protected throughout the criminal justice process.
Our Philosophy
Crime victims and survivors deserve more than sympathy. They deserve a voice, meaningful protections, and a criminal justice system that recognizes their rights and respects their experiences.
Crime Victims United of Oregon works to strengthen victims' rights, advance effective public policies, and raise awareness of the challenges victims and their families face. By bringing their concerns to the forefront of public discussion and legislative action, we strive to help build a safer, more responsive Oregon.
Our Story
Crime Victims United of Oregon was established in 1983 to be a voice for crime victims. Founded by Bob and Dee Dee Kouns after the murder of their daughter, Crime Victims United is dedicated to protecting the rights of crime victims by advocating for common-sense laws and policies to ensure victims are heard and protected.
Our Impact on Oregon
Over the last four decades, Crime Victims United has been at the center of the important criminal justice policy issues in Oregon. Crime Victims United was instrumental in pushing for laws to address juvenile crime, strengthen child abuse protections, require mandatory prison for violent crime, and to enshrine victim rights in the Oregon Constitution.
Many of the laws and policies that protect victims and survivors in Oregon are the direct result of Crime Victims United.
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1983
Organization founded.
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1994
Successful advocacy producing Measure 11 and other measures.
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1996
Measure 26 incorporated the organization’s criminal justice principles into Oregon’s Constitution.
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2008
Measures 51 and 52 strengthened victims’ rights enforcement.
Crime Victims United of Oregon
Leadership
Crime Victims United of Oregon is guided by a commitment to protecting the rights and safety of crime victims. Our leadership works to carry forward CVU’s longstanding tradition of advocacy, accountability, public education, and meaningful criminal justice reform.
Building on more than four decades of advocacy, we remain committed to ensuring that victims’ voices are heard, their rights are respected, and their concerns are represented in public policy discussions affecting Oregonians.
Leadership & Governance
Board of Directors
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Kevin Neely
Public Affairs Strategist | Executive Director, Oregon Criminal Justice Truth Project
Kevin Neely is a longtime Oregon public affairs strategist with nearly three decades of experience in public policy, government relations, and political advocacy. For more than 15 years, he provided public policy and legislative advocacy services to the Oregon Department of Justice and the Oregon District Attorneys Association, working on issues involving victims' rights, public safety, and criminal justice. He is a principal of Tidal Influences and Executive Director of the Oregon Criminal Justice Truth Project, where he continues his work to strengthen Oregon's criminal justice system.
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Jill Gibson
Attorney | Public Safety Advocate
Jill Gibson is an attorney with extensive experience in constitutional law, election law, and nonprofit law. As a crime survivor, she strongly supports public safety initiatives and advocates for strengthening the support and rights available to victims of crime. She has served as the president of a public safety nonprofit and also volunteers as a cabin leader at a summer camp that serves children whose parents are incarcerated. Her legal expertise and commitment to support all persons impacted by crime strengthens CVU’s work to promote accountability within Oregon’s criminal justice system.
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Kevin Barton
Washington County District Attorney
Kevin Barton is the District Attorney for Washington County. He has served as a prosecutor since 2007 and was elected as DA in 2018, 2022, and 2026. He has handled a wide variety of cases throughout his career, including child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, and murder. DA Barton is a strong advocate for crime victims, offender accountability, and community safety.
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Kristin Olson
Trial Attorney | Podcast Host
Kristin Olson is an Oregon trial attorney who has represented individuals and businesses in civil litigation for more than two decades. Her practice includes personal injury, wrongful death, sexual assault and abuse, and commercial litigation. A graduate of the University of Oregon School of Law, Olson is also a survivor of violent crime. She brings both professional experience and a personal understanding of the impact of violence to her service on the board of Crime Victims United.
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Brian Martinek
Former Police Chief | Crime Victims' Advocate
Brian Martinek is a veteran law enforcement leader, former Vancouver Police Chief, and former Executive Director of the Northwest Regional Re-Entry Center. Following the tragic loss of his son Taylor to a counterfeit fentanyl pill in 2017, Brian became a passionate advocate for victims and families affected by crime and dangerous drugs. He brings decades of public safety leadership and deeply personal experience to his commitment to strengthening victims' rights, preventing tragedies, and improving Oregon's criminal justice system.
Why Our Work Still Matters
Crime Victims United has spent more than four decades advancing the rights of crime victims in Oregon. Our work extends beyond advocating for laws and policies. We have worked directly with victims and survivors to help ensure their voices are heard, their rights are respected, and their needs are not overlooked.
Be Part of Our Next Chapter.
The work is not finished. Victims and survivors deserve a voice in the decisions that affect their lives, and Oregon needs advocates who will continue to stand up for their rights and safety.
Join us in building on more than four decades of progress and advancing a future where victims' voices are heard and their rights are protected.
Stay Connected.
Sign up for updates on victims’ rights, legislative developments, and public safety initiatives.
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Get Involved.
Join our efforts to educate the public, advocate for meaningful reform, and make victims’ concerns heard by policymakers.
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Support Our Mission.
Your contributions help advance victims’ rights, strengthen public awareness, and support advocacy for safer communities throughout Oregon.
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