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History
The Social Action Committee restarted our restorative
justice effort during the 2002 church year, stimulated by a letter
from Sheriff Story to the editors of local papers about improving
the criminal justice process in our county. In written responses to
his letter, two members of the committee encouraged Story to consider
restorative justice, in the formation of the Waldo County Criminal
Justice Coordinating Committee, around the plans to redevelop the
Waldo County jail and associated services. A strategic plan was formulated
at our November meeting that included a face-to-face meeting with
the sheriff, a community- wide meeting to stimulate interest in restorative
justice, and a follow-up meeting for those community members interested
in directly participating in some version of restorative justice in
Waldo County.
Following Dick Snyder's early December meeting with the sheriff, a
later December meeting was held with the sheriff and a community group
of ten (including six people from our church) for a full discussion
of the sheriff's office position of restorative justice. From that
meeting we obtained strong support from the sheriff's office. The
Social Action Committee and several other community members met January
6 to develop plans to attract broad community-wide support for Restorative
Justice.
The first step in that plan was the February 3, 7-9 p.m., meeting
at the Belfast Library, to which church leaders and members, social
service workers, educators, and attorneys were invited by the Waldo
County Restorative Justice Committee (WCRJC). The WCRJC was gratified
to have 40 people attend, representing all segments of those invited.
The program provided an orientation to worldwide restorative justice
programs, with an emphasis on Maine programs from people providing
such in-state services to victims and juvenile offenders. At the conclusion
of this meeting, we announced our intention to take a second step
by holding another community meeting March 1 to provide a more in-depth
look at the several restorative justice intervention programs being
done in Maine. A dozen people in attendance expressed interest in
taking a next step with us. While our Social Action Committee was
well-represented in the subsequent restorative justice meetings in
Waldo County, the developmental process was strengthened by shifting
the focus to the WCRJC.
The second-step meeting provided 10 people with in-depth information
on Maine's Community Resolution Team (CRT) process, offender support
services, as well as other aspects of restorative justice activities
in our state. From this four-hour meeting, a number of church members
and friends decided to take advantage of the Department of Corrections
training for facilitators of CRTs. Eight Waldo County citizens attended
this training on March 29. Three were members/friends of our church.
Facilitators of CRTs were required to receive this DOC training.
On April 14 the last step in our strategic plan for the 2002-03 year
was taken when four representatives of the WCRJC met with the Waldo
County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee group studying the
redevelopment of our county jail. The WCRJC representatives were well
received. After the meeting, the WCRJC representatives hoped that
Waldo County would convene its first Community Resolution Team in
May or June of this year.
That this outcome would be achieved by June 2003 exceeded the most
optimistic hopes of any of the participants.
Currently
The
Restorative Justice Project now boasts three fulltime and two part-time
employees, two VISTA Volunteers, one senior volunteer, and more than
75 mentors who have been trained to provide long-term support to participants.
To date, the project has mentored more than 75 youths who have been
in trouble with the law and more than 50 adults returning to the community
following incarceration. In addition, the RJP is currently training
faculty and staff in 17 schools in restorative justice philosophy
and practices. Over 20 members and friends of the church have volunteered
as mentors, facilitators, or board members.
 Most
importantly, recidivism rates for the adults engaged in the program
have been less than half of the statewide average, and all but a handful
of the youth have successfully fulfilled commitments to help heal
their victims and community.
Finally, in part because of the project's success and its collaboration
with the sheriff, the local jail has been converted to a re-entry
center for persons leaving prison, and RJP has been contracted to
provide long-term mentoring to guard against recidivism.
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