Vision:
Vibrant communities – safe, just and engaged
Mission:
The Center for Community Justice: transforming communities of Elkhart County through Restorative Justice.
Purpose:
Creating safer communities by providing pathways to healing for those in need
Cassie Stewart
Office Administrator
VIP Coordinator
Transitional Coaching Program Coordinator
Meet The Team
Casandra Byler
Executive Director
Restorative Justice
Shifting the focus from broken laws and incarceration to repairing broken lives and healing damaged relationships
Our Goal
To provide pathways for healing and create safer communities. It's about...
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...empowering offenders to feel accountable for their actions as loved and respected members of the community.
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...supporting victims and addressing the harm committed with their needs in mind.
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...engaging communities
to reduce recidivism and promote positive behavior.
The CCJ Story
CCJ originated with the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) in 1977 by an Elkhart County juvenile probation officer who discovered the program operating in Canada. VORP quickly outgrew the resources of the probation department and joined a regional organization called Prisoners and Community Together (PACT) in 1979, and Elkhart County PACT was born. Following this, the Community Service Restitution Program (CSRP) began.
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In 1984 the two programs discontinued their association with PACT and CCJ, Inc., a 501(c)(3) was created. CCJ’s vision is for vibrant communities – safe, just and engaged. Our mission is to transform the communities of Elkhart County through restorative justice.
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Over the years, CCJ has introduced restorative justice programs which include Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (1977); Community Service Restitution Program (1979); Victim Impact Panel (1993); Community Mediation Program (1999); Family Mediation Program (2008); Thinking for a Change Classes (2011); Transitional Coaching Program (2012); and Reading for Life (2014). CCJ has actively worked in Elkhart County for over thirty years providing successful restorative justice programming.
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CCJ began as a struggling and passionate group who were mission-driven with the goal to restore relationships that resulted from the harms of crime. Over time the agency built strong relationships with the court system and eventually became a part of this system with state funding. The funding CCJ received for programming was supported by grants from the state and ample user fees that covered overhead and all administration costs; as well as the agency’s other program deficits. In 2009 the programs with strong financial structures shifted to county government.
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This was a struggle and also a blessing. Center for Community Justice had to examine their identity. Rather than being part of the criminal justice system and state-funded; the agency redefined itself. The first year, 2011 was spent analyzing where we came from and what is our story? What does justice really mean? Since then, CCJ has been working to build an agency where all the programs are true to the principles of restorative justice: creating opportunities where all of Elkhart County can heal from the harms that happen in relationships and in life whether through business, neighborhood conflict, or crime. CCJ is now a community-based agency, supported by the community. We need community support and awareness to continue our work.
Letter from the Executive Director
