Formed in February 2005, The Restorative Justice Project of the Midcoast provides mentoring for adult and juvenile offenders in Knox and Waldo Counties and in four additional counties (Washington, Sagadahoc, Lincoln and Hancock) in conjuction with the Maine Coast Regional Reentry Center, as well as an innovative process for dealing with behavior issues in the schools statewide. The focus on offender accountability, including the impact of the offense on the victim and community, has resulted in significantly decreased recidivism, healing of victims, and transformed lives - rarities within the traditional criminal justice system.

We have five program areas in need of volunteer assistance and mentoring. The Community Resolution Team (CRT) provides juvenile offenders with an alternative to arrest, adjudication, jail and probation; the Community Rentry program works with released offenders to successfully transition back to into Waldo County communities after serving county jail time; the Maine Coast Regional Reentry Center, RJP provides group and indivual mentoring to residents as well as Community Resolution Conferencing and/or Healing Circles, to facilitate the residents' healthy and productive return to their families and communities; the Court Deferred Disposition program works with adult offenders facing potential jail time and gives them the opportunity to address their crime through a Community Conference circle process and the Restorative School Practices which works with schools throughout the state of Maine, to change the school climate with regard to behavioral issues resulting in detentions and suspensions.