Catholic Restorative Justice Ministries - Santa Rosa
Share
Catholic Restorative Justice Ministries is an association of the faithful providing pastoral care to persons who have been harmed by crime.
The call of Catholic Restorative Justice Ministries encompasses an expansive task: to offer healing and support for everyone affected by crime and the criminal justice system - victims and their families, offenders and their families, legal and law-enforcement personnel, corrections personnel, chaplains and volunteers, policy makers and professionals, and communities where crime occurs. “Deten
tion ministry” began with the inception of the Diocese; and in 2004 with authorization from Bishop Walsh, it expanded in scope to include provision of “restorative justice” services. The ministry is designed to be led by a small staff, with its work done almost exclusively by volunteers. It receives limited funding from the Diocese, charitable donations, and proceeds of small fund-raisers. Because these resources have been limited, it, has been only able to serve a small minority of those in need in the Diocese, with services rendered mainly in Sonoma County. (See the sections on Environmental Analysis and Core Task Status.) The current staff includes a part-time executive director, a part-time outside services manager, and a part-time office manager. CRJM is now beginning to extend its work to the entire Diocese and to undertake these core tasks: victim support , inmate support, family support, re-entry support, justice system support, and community education and advocacy. Its means to achieve these tasks will involve parish-shared responsibility connection among parishes, and development of community resources. These linkages will be led and facilitated by the Restorative Justice office.