​Restorative Justice Project Maine

The Restorative Justice Project Maine promotes justice that is community-based, repairs harm, and creates safety and well-being for all. Our responses to crime and wrongdoing seek renewal and safety for the community, support and healing for victims and accountability and reintegration of the offender. ​Our responses to crime and wrongdoing seek: Renewal and safety for the community Support and healing for the victims Accountability and reintegration for the offender into the community

RJPMaine operates in the four counties that comprise Maine Prosecutorial District Six, Waldo, Knox, Lincoln and Sagadahoc, as well as Hancock county, which is part of Prosecutorial District 7. Restorative justice is a growing movement within educational and criminal justice systems around the world. The approach focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation both with the harmed parties and with the community at large. Those harmed take an active role in the process, while offenders are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions to repair the harm they've done. By fostering dialogue between the harmed party and offender, restorative justice yields higher rates of satisfaction and offender accountability. The process holds the potential for those harmed and their families to have a direct voice in determining a just outcome. Restorative justice reestablishes the role of the community in supporting all parties affected by crime. When those that have been harmed, offenders, and community members meet to decide how to repair harm, the results can be transformational.