Causes: Crime & Law, Half-Way Houses for Offenders & Ex-Offenders, Inmate Support, Rehabilitation Services for Offenders

Mission: Crj supports our most challenged citizens. We work with individuals in, or at the risk of being in, the adult or juvenile justice systems; individuals transitioning out of these systems back to their communities; and people with developmental disabilities requiring intensive support to be part of the community. Our unique mix of innovative services, advocacy for system improvement, research and publications builds the capacity of people we care for to live safe, productive lives. Our communities enjoy increased safety and improved quality of life. Our workforce performs at the highest level, possessing the skills and knowledge that ensure a strong positive impact on our clients, our communities and our profession.

Programs: Community strategies - massachusetts (csma), a division of community resources for justice, provides comprehensive community based residential, vocational and clinical services in a highly supervised therapeutic environment to dually diagnosed individuals with behavioral challenges. Since its inception in 1993, the program has evolved into a specialized service provider with unique expertise in serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and psychiatric disorders, as well as those with past involvement in the criminal justice system. With an emphasis on positive behavior supports, the goal of csma is to provide these individuals with the opportunity to live happily and comfortably within the community while maintaining a safe, high quality and cost effective program. Csma operates thirty homes and 21 shared living arrangements in 24 communities. Presently, the program's primary funding source is the massachusetts department of developmental services. Funding is also provided by the department of mental health, the massachusetts rehabilitation commission, department of children and families and out-of-state agencies. Csma maintains the safety of our individuals and members of the community while teaching individuals the skills they need to function more independently. We are successful when individuals learn necessary social and life skills, have greater opportunities for inclusion in the community, secure meaningful employment and require less external structure. We provide a continuum of supports - ranging from group programs with 24/7 supervision, through shared living with a provider, to case management where the individual lives alone with minimal services. We have been successful in supporting individuals move into situations requiring less support. In the last two years, we have placed a dozen individual from programs into shared living situations, and have supported three other clients who require case management or only intermittent supervision. In the last two years, we have seen a marked increase in the number of individuals who have gotten or maintained jobs and/or who have required less job coaching to be successful. Our individuals increasingly attend community college, formally study for their ged, take vocational classes, and attend religious study classes. Many more of our individuals have developed quality personal relationships with members of the community. This increased community involvement has been accompanied by a high level of demonstrated proactive social skills, community awareness, and safe behavior.

social justice services (sjs) consists of adult correctional programs and a residential youth program. As with all of crj's programs, sjs services adhere to our treatment culture philosophy and guiding principles: we welcome change; we listen; we focus on behavior; and we offer choices. Crj's adult correctional programs provide services to men and women who are involved with federal, state, and county correctional system and parole and probation agencies. Our goal is to assist our clients to reenter their communities as productive and contributing citizens. Based on a comprehensive assessment, our programs provide assistance with transitional issues including employment, housing, addictions, family support, counseling and treatment. Working with over 1,000 residents per year, crj's adult programs offer a balance of accountability and service options. The intent is to enable these men and women to break out of the cycle of gangs, crime, and incarceration, and create a new cycle of personal responsibility and positive community engagement. Crj's residential youth program works with youth aging out of the supervision of the department of children and families. These are 18 to 22 year old young men who exhibit challenging behaviors due to trauma-based diagnoses, cognitive disabilities, and/or intellectual challenges. They may be eligible for dmh or dds services, but not until they turn 22 years of age. Our program appreciates all of our residents' unique qualities, strengths, and abilities. By building on those resident centered abilities, they will gain the potential to live healthy and productive lives, and achieve their full potential. Our education support and enrichment program works with all sjs programs. For clients, they provide a variety of life skills, educational and creative arts groups and classes. This includes coordinating interns and mentors from local colleges and universities to work with our residents. For staff, they coordinate and facilitate training opportunities: basic training for newly hired staff, core competency and new training for all.

the crime & justice institute (cji) at community resources for justice (crj) works with local, state and federal government agencies and criminal justice organizations to improve public safety and the delivery of justice throughout the country. With a reputation built over many decades for innovative thinking, unbiased issue analysis, and a client-centered approach, cji assists organizations achieve better, more cost-effective results for the communities they serve. Our team brings decades of experience developing evidence-based, data-driven policies, managing complex processes with diverse stakeholders, and driving systems-level organizational change. Cji's energetic staff and network of consultants come from a variety of backgrounds in the criminal justice, public administration and social science fields.