Paul Solomon is the
Executive Director at Sponsor, Inc., in Eugene, Oregon. Sponsors’ has
been providing reentry services to people with criminal histories since
1973. Mr. Solomon has worked at Sponsors in a variety of capacities
since he was hired in 2001 and most recently was instrumental in the
development of Sponsors new 72 bed, $6 million reentry complex that
opened in July of 2010. Sponsors is recognized in the state of Oregon
and regionally as a model for prisoner reentry services.
The agency operates 10 buildings on 5 sites with 132 beds of
transitional and long-term housing and ancillary programs for people
with criminal histories.
Mr.
Solomon is the Board Chair of the Partnership for Safety and Justice, a
state-wide non-profit, advocacy organization that works for smart public
safety policy in Oregon. He also serves as vice-chair of the
(inter-governmental) Lane County Public Safety Coordinating Council and
is the chair of Lane County’s Reentry Task Force. He was appointed by
Governor Kitzhaber as the only citizen member to the Governor’s Reentry
Council. He is a board member of the Safety and Justice Action Fund,
the Emerald Valley Development Professionals, and serves on the National
Steering Committee for the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program. Mr.
Solomon has a Bachelors degree in Sociology from the University of
Oregon, where he graduated cum laude.
Mr. Solomon is
dedicated to positive systemic change in the criminal justice system.
He believes strongly in promoting public safety by removing barriers to
reentry and fostering access to housing, employment, and education for
people with criminal histories. He is an advocate for reentry services
and smart public safety policy. He is very active in the community as
Rotary member, volunteer, and a sports coach for children with
disabilities. He is married and lives in Eugene and balances the joys
and responsibilities of co-parenting four fabulous teenage children,
including a son with Autism.