Community Endowment of Lexington awards $7,000 grant to Communities for Restorative Justice

Communities for Restorative Justice, a nonprofit dedicated to repairing the harm created by crime, announces with gratitude the recent award of $7,000 by the Community Endowment of Lexington, an Endowed Fund of the Foundation for MetroWest.

Communities for Restorative Justice (C4RJ) is an innovative community–police partnership serving 12 communities in the Metro West area. C4RJ provides a healing, inclusive, and cost-effective complement to the criminal justice system. Victims, offenders, community members, supporters, and a police officer meet in a safe, supportive restorative “circle” that allows victims to be heard and understood, offenders to take responsibility for harm, and loved ones and community members to offer support. C4RJ’s track record over 15 years shows high satisfaction rates among participants, and a marked decrease in recidivism by offenders.

This grant will support development of the restorative justice program in Lexington, which joined C4RJ as a partner community in 2014. The funds will allow C4RJ to train additional Lexington police officers, raise community awareness of restorative justice and its benefits, and recruit and train local volunteers—resulting in a stronger and healthier community. Learn more about C4RJ at www.c4rj.com. C4RJ looks forward to enlarging the role of restorative justice in the Town of Lexington with the significant support of the Community Endowment of Lexington’s generous grant.

The Community Endowment of Lexington, an endowed fund of the Foundation for MetroWest, promotes a spirit of philanthropic giving to help enhance the quality of life for all Lexington citizens now, and for the future. Community Endowment of Lexington is a permanent grant-making source of funding to support community needs and opportunities, and provide ways for donors to give back or leave a legacy to the community. For more information, visit www.lexingtonendowment.org.