About CJC
WHO WE ARE
OUR MISSION
Community Justice Center seeks to cultivate individual and collective well-being, shared accountability, and healing through community- driven research and evidence-based restorative processes.
THE CENTER'S 9 HALLMARKS
- A community-based agency with experienced practitioners, educators, staff and governing board representative of the diversity of the community served. Restorative services include circle processes, family group conferencing, mediation, victim-offender dialogues, restorative institutional programs, and reentry services.
- Engaging trained community volunteers as providers of services that are open to all persons in Fresno County.
- Providing direct access to the public through self and community agency referrals, striving to reduce barriers to service including physical, linguistic, cultural, programmatic, and economic.
- Providing service to community members regardless of their ability to pay.
- Providing services and hiring for persons of any race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, disability, national origin, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender orientation, family responsibilities, educational background, political affiliation, criminal conviction, source of income, or any other barriers.
- Providing a forum for dispute resolution at the earliest stage of conflict.
- Providing a restorative alternative to the punitive system at any stage of a conflict.
- Initiating, educating, and facilitating collaborative community relationships to effect positive transformative systemic change.
- Engaging in public awareness, education, training, advocacy, and research about the values and practices of restorative initiatives, peacebuilding, and community well-being.
*Member of the National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM)
History
Community Roots
- 1982 - VORP (Victim Offender Reconciliation Program) started by Fresno Pacific University's Center for Peacemaking
- 2007 - COSA (Circles of Support and Accountability) started by Fresno Pacific University's Center for Peacemaking
- 2014 - Prison Fellowship donates office space to COSA
- 2018 - COSA, REEVOLUTION, FRESNO PACIFIC UNIVERSITY, AND VALLEY STATE PRISON'S YOUTH OFFENDER PROGRAM SIGN A LETTER OF AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE UNIVERSITY-ACCREDITED COURSES AND WRAP-AROUND RE-ENTRY SERVICES FOR SUCCESSFUL REINTEGRATION BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY
- 2019 - CJC BEGINS PARTNERING WITH PRISON FELLOWSHIP, WELCOME HOME, AND SERVING USA TO PROVIDE WARM HAND-OFF SERVICES TO CITIZENS RE-ENTERING THE COMMUNITY
- 2019 - CJC SIGNS ON TO PARTICIPATE IN DRIVE - A 10-YEAR INITIATIVE TO HELP DEVELOP THE REGION'S INCLUSIVE ECONOMY
- 2019 - COMMUNITY PROGRAMS, VORP AND COSA NOW OCCUPY 4 OFFICE SUITES DUE TO CONTINUED GROWTH
- 2019 - CJC begins partnering with Prison Fellowship, Welcome Home, and Serving USA to provide warm hand-off services to citizens re-entering the community
- July 1, 2020 - CJC Officially Founded
- 2020 - CJC RECEIVES THE NAFCM GRANT AS A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED MEDIATION CENTER
- 2020 - COSA EXPANDS ITS PRESENCE TO FRESNO, LOS ANGELES, AND SAN DIEGO
- 2021 - CJC signs on to participate in DRIVE - a 10-year initiative of the Community Justice Network - to help develop the region's inclusive economy
The Community Justice Center (CJC) was founded on July 1, 2020. Although that may sound like we haven’t been around for very long, our history actually goes back much further than meets the eye.
It all started with Fresno Pacific University. Their Center for Peacemaking started the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) back in 1982 as a youth diversion program. Many years later, in 2007, the University started its Circles of Support and Accountability program (COSA), which focuses on supporting adults returning to the community after incarceration. Both of these programs have long track records of success, acclaim, and impact.
Fast forward to 2014. The Prison Fellowship donated space to the COSA program, gifting them offices at 4840 N 1st Street across from Fashion Fair. In 2019, the VORP program moved into additional offices vacated by Prison Fellowship when the FPU VORP office was being remodeled. As the program grew, this eventually expanded to include 4 interconnected office suites.
And that brings us to July 1, 2020, when the CJC was officially founded and Fresno Pacific University handed off its longstanding COSA and VORP programs to CJC to manage and grow. Since then, the CJC has continued to grow in leaps and bounds despite COVID-19, facilitating ways to heal our community.
CJC Impact in FY2021-2022
Geographical Reach
- Across 37 counties, we partner with persons in communities and institutions.
- CJC creates a ripple effect for families and communities across CA.
CJC Annual Reports
We believe in transparency. That’s why we provide all of our annual reports right here for easy access.