[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 196 (Wednesday, November 29, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S5670]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO JONATHAN HOUSTON

  Mr. REED. Madam President, today I pay tribute to a dear friend and 
one of Rhode Island's most thoughtful and visionary civic leaders, 
Jonathan ``Jon'' Houston. After 45 years of tireless advocacy, Jon will 
be relinquishing his role as executive chairman of Justice Assistance, 
the nonprofit organization he founded both to assist victims of crime 
and to provide meaningful support for ex-offenders.
  I have been privileged to know Jon since our time together as 
students at La Salle Academy in Providence, RI. After high school, Jon 
went on to graduate from the University of Rhode Island before 
completing advanced management certification programs at Harvard and 
Salve Regina University. He also served on a number of public safety 
boards and commissions in Rhode Island, but his vision in founding 
Justice Assistance in 1978 stands as a signature achievement in the 
area of criminal justice reform.
  It is no small task to radically change the way we treat and look at 
victims of crime, nor is it easy to take on the challenges facing 
former offenders after they have completed their sentences, but that is 
why Jon has become such a respected figure in the community. He has 
dedicated his life to a problem that few others were stepping up to 
solve. And Justice Assistance has been enormously successful. According 
to the Providence Journal, Justice Assistance's sentencing alternative 
program--one of the organization's major initiatives--has collected 
over $5 million in restitution on behalf of victims of crime, and 90 
percent of its court-referred clients successfully complete its ex-
offender intervention and support programs. Justice Assistance's 
success is a testament to Jon's tenacity and devotion.
  Rhode Islanders have been fortunate to have Jon dedicate more than 
four decades to strengthening our communities and developing systems of 
support for those who may otherwise not have had any. I, too, have 
experienced Jon's knowledge, insights, and humility on criminal justice 
reform when I worked with him to increase Federal support for 
innovative and transformative solutions to recidivism and for victim 
protection.
  Jon has undoubtedly made a mark on Rhode Island. His work and 
advocacy have directly impacted the lives of thousands who have come in 
contact with our criminal justice system. Through Justice Assistance, 
Jon's work will continue to improve lives of victims and offenders for 
years to come, but this won't be the only way his mission carries on 
after the mantle is passed. Jon was the primary author of the ``Rights 
of Victims of Crime'' amendment in the State constitution, the first 
constitutional amendment in the Nation dedicated to protecting the 
rights of crime victims. In a very literal sense, Jon's passion and 
words have been permanently added to the foundational document of the 
state.
  I would also like to take the time to recognize Jon's wife Pamela, 
his daughter Shannon, and his son Adam. I join many others in the State 
in thanking Jon for his service to our communities and the well-being 
of those impacted by crime. I wish him fulfillment and continued 
success in his next chapter.

                          ____________________