Who we are
The Community Restorative Justice Center has been delivering Restorative Justice programming in Saint Johnsbury, Vermont since 1999. Restorative Justice is a system of criminal justice that brings those harmed by crime or conflict and those responsible for the harm into communication, enabling everyone affected by a particular incident to play a part in repairing the harm and finding a positive way forward. The CRJC was established in 1999 when the town of Saint Johnsbury first received a grant from the Vermont Department of Corrections (DOC) to provide reparative boards to address certain criminal acts as part of a state-wide response to public dissatisfaction with the criminal justice system at that time. In 2012 we became a stand alone 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The CRJC is generously funded by the Vermont Department of Corrections, The Office of Vermont Attorney General, The Vermont Bar Foundation and other grants, allocations, and donations.
Our Mission
The Community Restorative Justice Center is committed to providing a safe environment for neighbors and parties to resolve conflict in our communities, to restore relationships, and to take responsibility to repair harms caused. We promote the principles of victim-informed restorative justice that transforms practices in workplace, school, institution, and living spaces throughout Caledonia and Essex counties.
The CRJC is committed to providing a safe environment for resolving conflicts and to promoting restorative justice and victim sensitivity throughout the entire community, based on the following principles:
The offender has an opportunity to understand the impact of the crime, express remorse and repair the harm done to the victim and to the wider community.
