Restorative Justice Project Maine has received a $9,060 grant from the Community Development Fund of the Maine Community Foundation to help Mt. Ararat High School offer their students more restorative responses to harm and conflict.

“We believe that RJP Maine’s approach to justice strengthens community ties and repairs harm caused by behaviors,” Chris Hoffman, principal of Mt. Ararat High School, said in a prepared release. “As much as possible, we work with parents, caregivers, youth-service organizations, faith groups, law enforcement and more in support of providing a continuity of service for our students. This collaboration represents an important opportunity to deepen these ties.

“By involving our professional staff and students in developing and delivering training in restorative approaches, they will become better equipped to support students themselves and to engage additional students and families in RJP Maine’s existing youth harm repair program. We’re excited to work together to bring this partnership to life.”

The organization will work with school staff, students and partners to increase understanding of restorative principles and practices. RJP and Mt. Ararat will work together to train the school community on restorative responses to harm and establish a partnership to facilitate referrals to RJP Maine’s youth harm repair program when an incident that would benefit from a facilitated restorative process occurs. RJP Maine’s long-standing approach to juvenile harm repair diverts youth from the criminal legal system either before or after charges have been brought against them, holding them accountable for harms caused through a facilitated process that gives those harmed more voice than typical legal processes.

“While the majority of RJP Maine’s juvenile referrals currently come to us through the courts, research shows that access to restorative processes prior to criminal legal system involvement, or as early in the process as possible, carries the greatest benefits,” said Kathy Durgin-Leighton, executive director of RJP Maine. “We know that daily incidents of interpersonal harm occur in schools and communities that would benefit from more restorative responses. This partnership will provide an important alternative to help keep the kids involved out of the criminal legal system.”