Social Justice Services Department
The Social Justice Services Department encompasses the adult and youth programs of Community Resources for Justice (CRJ). We firmly believe that justice applies to every aspect of society, and not solely to the administration of laws. The Social Justice Services Department is committed to full and equal opportunities for all individuals in society, regardless of their past behaviors or circumstances. The Department includes residential and community-based programs which focus on the specific and unique needs of our clients, while also emphasizing public safety. We partner with social service agencies and the community to provide the best services possible, and are dedicated to having a positive impact on the clients in our care and on the neighborhoods in which we are located. The adult programs focus on reentry programming for men and women involved with county, state and federal criminal justice systems. The youth programs focus on structured and goal-oriented programming for neglected, at-risk and delinquent youth.
Staff work creatively to instill personal and community responsibility in our clients, and to advocate for the elimination of barriers to their success. Our goal is to engage them in positive lifestyle changes, preparing them for successful family reunification and community reintegration. Comprehensive and clinical case management services address issues relative to addictions, education, employment, cognitive skill development, and life skills. Our strength-based approach is intended to provide a path to satisfying, responsible, and productive citizenship. On a daily basis, Social Justice Services staff are proud to demonstrate the Mission, Values, and Culture of CRJ.
The Social Justice Services Department of CRJ has a variety of employment opportunities for those interested in working in this field. Applications can be found in the “Careers” section of this website. We also welcome interns from area colleges and universities to give students practical experience in the real world of youth services and adult correctional programming.
Department Director: Elizabeth L. Curtin
Deputy Director / Adult programs: Richard O. Guy, Jr.
Deputy Director / Youth programs: Roberto "Tito" Rodriguez
Adult Programs
With a capacity of 65 beds, the Brooke House serves as a pre-release program for male offenders through a contract with the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, and as transitional housing for offenders through a contract with the Massachusetts Parole Board. The average length of stay at Brooke House is approximately 3.5 months. With a goal of successful reentry, all residents receive comprehensive case management services addressing their employment, housing, family reunification, and treatment needs.
Coolidge House
McGrath House is a 30-bed facility serving female offenders referred by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Massachusetts Parole Board. All McGrath House women receive comprehensive case management services, with the goal of successful reentry to their home communities. The services at McGrath House are provided in a gender-responsive environment, geared to meet the unique and complicated needs of the women involved with the program. The average length of stay at McGrath House is approximately 5 months.
Hampshire House
Horizon House
Youth Programs
Somerville Transition Shelter Services
Sargent House
The intent of the program is to offer a community living experience with a high level of staff support and supervision. Our goal is to maximize motivation, participation, progress, self esteem, and self-control to achieve optimal functioning levels, contributing to placement in a less restrictive environment over time.
Watson Academy
Watson Academy is the Department’s comprehensive educational enrichment program, created to enhance and supplement the education services in our various programs. It provides academic programming and assistance, life skills classes, curriculum resources, and educational support and activities throughout the Department. Watson Academy strives to harness our client’s energy and intellect, and empower them with the skills they need to enjoy success in school, at work and in their lives Innovative initiatives coordinated through the Watson Academy have included integrating Transitions Framework training in our youth programs, and implementing the Getting Beyond the System program to increase the self advocacy skills of participants.
To see the Watson Academy brochure, please click here.
To see the Watson Academy Resource Directory, please click here.
Brooke House
Director, Paul Blaney
107 Park Drive, Boston, MA 02215
Director, John Sullivan
307 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
With a capacity of 120 beds, Coolidge House serves as a Residential Reentry Center for male and female offenders under contract with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Residents are referred from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Probation and Federal District Courts. Most residents are in the program for an average of 3 months, during which time they receive case management services that emphasize successful reentry. Coolidge House works with a diverse population with regard to age, type of Federal offense, and length of incarceration. Accredited by the American Correctional Association, Coolidge House represents CRJ’s largest program, and one of its longest running contracts.
McGrath House
Director, Helen Tocchio
699 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02118
Director, Ernest Goodno
1490-1492 Elm Street, Manchester, NH 03101
With a capacity of 32 beds, Hampshire House serves as a Comprehensive Sanctions Center for male and female offenders under contract with Federal Bureau of Prisons. Residents are referred from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, US Probation and Federal District Courts. Most residents are in the program for an average of 3 months, during which time they receive case management services that emphasize successful reentry. Hampshire House works with a diverse population with regard to age, type of Federal offense, and length of incarceration. Hampshire House opened with their first resident on April 1, 2009.
Director, Daniel Robertello
35-37 Elizabeth St., Albany, NY 12202
The newest program in the SJS Department, and the first in New York State, is the Horizon House in Albany, NY, open in September 2011. With a capacity of 32 beds, Horizon serves as a Residential Reentry Center for male and female offenders under contract with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Residents may be referred from the Bureau of Prisons, U. S. Probation, and Federal Courts. Most residents are in the program for an average of 3 months, during which time they receive case management services that emphasize successful reentry. Horizon House works with a diverse population with regard to age, type of Federal offense, and length of incarceration.
Director: Howard Jardine
126 Cross Street, Somerville, MA 02145
Somerville Transition Shelter is a 16 bed group residence that serves committed youths from the Department of Youth Services (DYS). Services are designed to address the diverse and changing needs of our youth on a short-term basis (1 to 120 days) and are flexible in response to the individual needs of each youth we serve. Program services include: clinical services - individual and group therapy; anger management; violence prevention; conflict resolution; behavior management; community transition; family intervention and reintegration; relapse prevention; problem solving; child advocacy; substance abuse counseling; cognitive development and a state of the art school. The program is designed to effectively meet the needs of both the individual youth and DYS through a continuum of services to manage client risk/need and protect public safety.
Director: Leonard Andrews
577 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02118
As of February 2010, CRJ’s Sargent House has reopened to work with up to six young men, ages 18 – 21, under a contract with the Department of Children and Families (DCF). These are youth who currently fall between the cracks in the statewide network of available services, based on their age and on their challenging behaviors. They are aging out of the DCF system, but are not eligible to receive services from the Department of Mental Health or Developmental Services until they turn 22. With a unique model which combines the experience of both the SJS Department and Community Strategies, the program works with youth who exhibit challenging behaviors due to trauma-based diagnoses, sexually abusive behavior, cognitive disabilities, and/or intellectual challenges.
Director: Marcy Rosenthal
66 Chestnut Street, Cambridge, MA 02139