Community justice office opened
California State Senator Tom Hayden officially opened the new Community Restorative Justice (CRJ) central offices on the Andersonstown Road, Belfast, on Tuesday afternoon as part of the Féile week festivities.
CRJ co-ordinator, Jim Auld, speaking at the launch, said that CRJ developed from a central idea of community ownership and of dealing with crime and its effects locally. The launch was also attended by CRJ workers, NIACRO representatives and local MP Gerry Adams.
Auld added that with 80 fully trained practitioners, with mediation skills, human rights training and local community knowledge and contacts and over 330 people either going through the training programme or waiting to start training, the prospects of CRJ spreading throughout Ireland are very positive.
Tommy Holland, who heads up the Upper Springfield CRJ pilot project (highlighted in previous issues of An Phoblacht), added that creating public awareness within the Greater Upper Springfield area had been vital to the success of the project - which has to date dealt with more than 80 cases involving 330 people. Holland also paid tribute to the work of the other pilot projects in Derry, Twinbrook, Poleglass and the New Lodge, as well as the Falls Women's Centre and the Rape Crisis Centre.
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