Downeast Restorative Justice is a worker self-directed non-profit organization. All employees share responsibility and play a role in governing the organization and stewarding its resources; all are Board members. All Board members make a commitment to the principles and organizational practices of worker self-direction, including democratic governance, shared leadership and consensus based decision making. Board members further make a commitment to fostering internally the same restorative principles of centering relationship and community building, inclusion, and authentic voice, that we hold in our training, facilitation and advocacy of Restorative Practices.
Our Mission
Downeast Restorative Justice believes in the power of social healing. We help to repair harmed relationships through equitable, non-adversarial, community-based, justice.
Mission Statement: Engaging in equitable community-based justice, Downeast Restorative Justice facilitates and promotes opportunities for community members to repair harmed relationships caused by wrongdoing and incarceration.
DRJ’s Community Impact
Since 2017:
- Each accepted referral encompasses multiple facilitated circles, spans a period of time from a month to a year and can directly affect upward of 8-15 participants;
- 95% of juveniles participating in our Community Resolution Harm Repair process successfully completed the process. Many of the youths also participated in parallel Support Circle processes;
- 95% of those harmed were satisfied with the process and experience, and would recommend it to others;
- In 4 school districts, we’ve held trainings, workshops and in-class coaching. Our relationship with each school continues to strengthen as we support Restorative Practices through connection and community building;
- 1000+ volunteer hours serving the community.
History
Downeast Restorative Justice was originally formed in 2016 as the Hancock County Community Reparations Board (HCCRB), changing our name to Downeast Restorative Justice (DRJ) in April 2020.
We partnered with Restorative Justice Project of Maine in 2017 until becoming a registered 501c3 non profit with the State of Maine in 2022.
