For Immediate Release

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Winchester Police Department Joins Communities For Restorative Justice

WINCHESTER — Chief Peter MacDonnell is pleased to announce that the Winchester Police Department has become the 20th Middlesex County community to join Communities for Restorative Justice (C4RJ).

C4RJ is a community-police partnership that offers restorative justice to those affected by crime using a “circle” model, which recognizes that crime is as much a violation of people and relationships as it is a violation of the law.

“Joining C4RJ allows our department to participate in an innovative approach to policing,” Chief MacDonnell said. “This model has a strong track record of success in our neighboring communities, and I’m confident that bringing it to Winchester will provide residents with meaningful and lasting resolutions when they are impacted by certain types of crime.”

Through C4RJ, partner communities are able to augment the traditional criminal justice process by providing victims of crime an opportunity to address the person who harmed them and share ideas of how the damage can be repaired. Additionally, the process enables offenders to better understand the impact of their actions and be held accountable for making amends.

The Winchester Police Department will work with C4RJ to enable offenders to take responsibility for their actions while empowering victims to address how they were affected by crime.

“I am extremely excited to welcome Winchester to our program,” C4RJ Executive Director Erin Freeborn said. “The Winchester Police Department and Chief MacDonnell have a strong appreciation of the role that restorative justice can play in making things right for individuals and communities impacted by crime.”

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