Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that Restorative Justice Project in Belfast has been awarded $924,307 through the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Innovations in Community Based Crime Reduction Program (CBCR).  The funding will be used to develop and implement a strategic, collaborative, and community-oriented plan to reduce crime.

“The Restorative Justice Project provides life-changing guidance to juveniles and adults to help them take responsibility for their actions and atone for previous crimes by giving back to their communities,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement.  “This funding will assist the Restorative Justice Project as they work to ensure that communities in Midcoast Maine remain safe and welcoming.”

Restorative justice is an approach to justice that focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community at large.  Established in 2005, the Restorative Justice Project of the Midcoast provides restorative conferences for adult and juvenile offenders in Knox, Waldo, Lincoln, and Sagadahoc Counties, as well as an array of restorative justice services for Maine Coast Regional Reentry Center and for K-12 schools.