Senator Eldridge and Representative Garballey Announce first-ever Restorative Justice (RJ) grants from Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS)
Legislators secured line item in FY23 budget to expand RJ programs serving low-income communities
Boston, MA -- State Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Marlborough) is pleased to announce that the Healey-Driscoll Administration has awarded $380,000 to community-based organizations to provide restorative justice services. The announcement comes after Senator Eldridge secured $400,000 for restorative justice grant programs in the Senate FY23 budget, which Rep. Garballey (D-Arlington) supported in the final FY23 budget. 14 recipients were selected for the grants, which were awarded by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s (EOPSS) Office of Grants and Research (OGR). This year marks the first time that the grants have been distributed.
Restorative justice is a set of principles and practices that create a different approach to dealing with crime and its impacts, according to a project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School. Restorative justice practices work to address the dehumanization frequently experienced by people in the traditional criminal justice system. Instead of viewing a criminal act as simply a violation of a rule or statute, restorative justice sees this action as a violation of people and relationships.
The grant is part of the FY23 Commonwealth Restorative Justice Community Grant Program in which individual 501(c)3 nonprofits were eligible to apply for up to $20,000 to support restorative justice programs. The grants make significant, critical and targeted investments in the areas of education, healthcare, housing and community support to meet the on-ground challenges brought on by the global pandemic and ongoing financial uncertainty.
“As the proud author of the 2018 Restorative Justice law, I am very happy to see increased state funding for restorative justice programs across Massachusetts, and with the Restorative Justice Advisory Committee’s recommendation of targeting such funding to benefit low-income communities,” said State Senator Jamie Eldridge. “I’m deeply grateful to Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Michael Rodrigues for supporting my request in the Senate FY23 budget. With a continued investment in restorative justice programs, we can shift the focus from punishing incarcerated individuals to rehabilitation, forgiveness, healing the victim, personal responsibility, and reintegration.”
"As the author of the Restorative Justice bill that was included as part of Chapter 69 of the Acts of 2018 known as the criminal justice reform law I am grateful to the Healey/Driscoll administration for awarding this essential funding which will support Restorative Justice practices across our Commonwealth" said Representative Sean Garballey (D-Arlington). "I am grateful to our partners in the Legislature and to the members of the Restorative Justice Advisory Committee. By continuing to invest in Restorative Justice practices we will be building stronger communities throughout Massachusetts."
“C4RJ is successfully taking the vision of the Criminal Justice Reform Act of 2018 and translating it into action, demonstrating that restorative justice works and that expanding access to it is a necessary step in our state-wide commitment to criminal justice reform,” said Erin Freeborn, Executive Director of Communities for Restorative Justice. “C4RJ will use the funds to make restorative justice more accessible to vulnerable individuals involved in the legal system.
“I would like to thank Senator Eldridge, for recognizing that we need to do things differently, his consistent fight for criminal justice reform, and support for restorative practices,” said Derrick Kiser, Chief Executive Officer of Fresh Start Wellness.
Grant Recipients
BeHeard.world
College Bound Dorchester
Communities for Restorative Justice
Fresh Start Wellness
Legacy Lives On
Legendary Legacies
Lighthouse Holyoke
Maverick Landing Community Service
Metropolitan Mediation Services
Pa’lante Transformative Justice
Transformational Prison Project
Transition House
Tufts University
UTEC
###
