A recent study shows that instances of recidivism, or re-offending, are very low after C4rJ circles, according to the Communities for Restorative Justice (C4RJ).

C4RJ is a community-police parnership that serves those affected by crime in the region. Police departments refer cases and the process offers offenders a chance to make right by the victims and others affected by the crime. Concrete repair measures are developed by consensus of the group.

Only 16 percent of individuals who have participated as offenders in C4RJ circles have gone  on to be charged with other offenses, according to a review of C4RJ records against state and local databases.

"This is a very low percentage of  recidivism compared to the conventional criminal justice system, and reflects wonderfully on the work of our volunteers and police who refer cases to us in the wake of crime," noted C4RJ Director Jennifer Larson Sawin.

Sgt. Brian Goldman and Ptl. Jeff Shelley of the Concord Police department exam-
ined C4RJ's caseload (including cases from Acton, Concord, and Carlisle) against local  and state databases, looking for reoffense by previous C4RJ participants.

Longtime C4RJ volunteer Win Wilbur compiled the data for the police review. The review covered cases from 2000, C4RJ's first year of operation, through early 2009.

Recidivism in conventional criminal justice proceedings is 27 percent, according to a nationwide study (http://wcr.sonoma.edu/v1n1/embreit.html). C4RJ's rate is also lower  than the average (18 percent) for other restorative justice programs in the United States, according to the same study. Look for more information on this recidivism study on our website www.c4rj.com/news.intheknow.php.