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Our Programs:
 Community Resources for Justice 355 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02116 Phone: (617) 482-2520 Fax: (617) 262-8054 crj[@]crjustice.org |
CRJ's New Look
 Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Rodman Ride for Kids with Team CRJ! The Rodman Ride For Kids is an umbrella matching gift charity raising funds for youth-focused social service agencies that support at-risk children in Massachusetts. The Ride's mission it to have every child in our community live as we would want our own children to live. The Ride serves as a catalyst by providing child welfare agencies an opportunity to raise funds through this event.
The troubles at the state Probation Department go way beyond patronage. Key programs have gone astray, with bloated budgets and indifferent management; caseload reports are wildly exaggerated; and a culture of secrecy has enveloped it all.
Community Resources for Justice is pleased to announce the publication of our newest report, "Priorities and Public Safety II: Adopting Effective Probation Practices". This report comes on the heels of the Boston Globe's latest Spotlight Series which follows the ongoing examination of the Massachusetts Probation Department.
 Community Resources for Justice's CJI Assists with Passage of Landmark Legislation in South Carolina Major legislation overhauling South Carolina's sentencing, probation and parole laws became law earlier this month, following a year and a half of intensive work by CRJ's Crime and Justice Institute for the South Carolina Sentencing Reform Commission. The comprehensive new law passed unanimously in the Senate and by an overwhelming majority in the House and was signed by Governor Mark Sanford on June 2. The Omnibus Crime Reduction and Sentencing Reform Act aims to reduce recidivism, improve community supervision, and enhance public safety.
 Marines Team up with Community Resources for Justice If twenty four Marines work really hard for two hours and clear away an overgrown backyard at Watson House, how much will they accomplish in two days at Watson and Brooke House?
 CRJ Opens New Residence Community Resources for Justice has opened a new program in Medway, Massachusetts. The residence will be the home for five men and is funded under a contract with the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Disabilities. "It is a fantastic building and we have brought in a very talented staff to run it," said Eric Scharf, Department Director for the Community Strategies for Massachusetts (CSMA), the CRJ Department that will operate the program. "The home has been beautifully decorated by our QA Coordinator, Deb Williams," added Michelle McCormick, CSMA's Director of Business Operations. "It will be a great place for these men to live." This new program will be the 22nd residence operated by CSMA.  CRJ Reopens Sargent House Community Resources for Justice is delighted to announce the reopening of Sargent House in Boston. Under a contract with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, the program is designed for young men between the ages of 18-22, a population that is often underserved. The house will be operated by our Social Justice Service Department (SJS) while staff training and clinical services will be provided by Community Strategies for Massachusetts Department.
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2010 Public Safety Leadership Platform Follow the on going investigation of the MA Probation Department and other exciting changes in MA criminal justice policy with Community Resources for Justice. Click here to follow CRJ’s Public Safety Leadership efforts in the media.
 In November 2010, every major political office will be up for grabs in Massachusetts, and the competition is expected to be fierce. Such political tension opens the door for new ideas, deeper conversations about public policy, and plans for turning visions into reality. CRJ is seizing this opportunity. We plan to use the 2010 elections to shape the next generation of public safety reform, and we need your help! For more information and to join this effort click here.  CRJ's Tara Dendy Speaks at Forum McGrath House Director, Tara Dendy, participated in a forum this week at UMASS-Boston sponsored by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts. Entitled “Beyond Bars: Improving Futures by Reconnecting Children and Their Incarcerated Parents”, the panel was facilitated by Rep. Kay Kahn and included Harold Clarke, DOC Commissioner; Andrea J. Cabral, Suffolk County Sheriff; Ayanna Pressley, At-Large Boston City Councilor; William Leahy, Chief Counsel for CPCS; Allen Cassad, Director of the MA Division of Casey Family Services; and Paige Ransford, Senior Research Associate for the Center for Women in Politics & Public Policy at UMASS. Tara spoke about the issues facing our women at McGrath House, particularly regarding their relationships with their children. The Girl Scouts operate “Girl Scouts Behind Bars”, a program which brings Girl Scout meetings into MCI Framingham to promote bonding and hope between incarcerated women and their daughters.
 Larivee, Engel and Luedeman Article in Corrections Today CEO John Larivee, Len Engel, Senior Policy Analyst and Richard Luedeman, Research Assistant authored Reentry and Economic Crisis: An Examination of Four States and Their Budget Efforts that appeared in the December, 2009 issue of Corrections Today. The article examines the impacts of the near-universal budget crisis on the reentry reform measures in Michigan, Kansas, Washington and Connecticut. The article concludes that "The fiscal crisis has justifiably placed all corrections agencies and departments under scrutiny. This should be good for those states that have implemented evidence-based practices because they have or soon will have the data and evidence of success. Whether it will be enough to avoid the budget ax is another story and requires, as witnessed by some of the states in this examination, a concerted public relations effort to educate the citizenry and develop collaboration among lawmakers.
CRJ's Crime and Justice Institute recently published Priorities & Public Safety: Reentry and the Rising Costs of our Corrections System for The Boston Foundation (TBF) as part of TBF's Understanding Boston series. The report examines the growth of the cost of corrections in Massachusetts in contrast to government spending for other competing sectors, identifies programs that could be adopted here, and describes specific reforms to bring costs under greater control.
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We are excited about introducing our new logo - stay tuned for changes to our website as we make the transition.
Featured Presenter:
"For Some, Fourth Means Different Kind of Freedom" reads the headline of a Boston Globe article on McGrath House over the fourth of July weekend. Written by Globe reporter and McGrath neighbor Donovan Slack, the article provides a unique view of the residents as they enjoyed a barbecue at the program. One of the women summed up her experience of addiction, incarceration, and McGrath House in this way: "Independence and freedom now have a whole new meaning for me".
The Board of Directors of Community Resources for Justice recently elected Gerald J. Morrissey to its membership. Gerry is the former Assistant Secretary for Disabilities and Community Service in the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services. He has over 30 years of experience in the field of Developmental Disabilities, including service as the Massachusetts Commissioner. He is a past president of the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services. Gerry is currently the Vice President for Quality Assurance and Service Development for The MENTOR Network, where he is responsible for the network’s quality assurance and customer assessment functions and have responsibility to create and implement management indicators for the network’s programs across the network. CRJ is very proud to have Gerry on our board!