BELFAST — For a full decade, the Restorative Justice Project of the Midcoast has been changing how justice is delivered in the court system, the schools, and the community, and a new restorative services coordinator will ensure its services continue to grow throughout Lincoln and Sagadahoc counties. Nadejda Stancioff, of Camden,

Stancioff is a graduate of Camden Hills Regional High School and Mount Holyoke College, where she majored in psychology and education. She served as an intern for the Restorative Justice Project (RJP) in summer of 2014 gaining insight and experience into the work of RJP. While a student at Mount Holyoke, Nadejda worked as a Community Based Learning Fellow, working as a tutor in a women's correctional facility and as a facilitator for creative writing workshops for incarcerated women.  

As restorative services coordinator, Stancioff will coordinate, facilitate and track progress of restorative justice conferences and reparative agreement follow-up for juveniles and adults. 

In this role, she works closely with local law enforcement, schools and trained volunteers, who mentor juveniles and help program development and support.

"I am thrilled to be working for an organization that not only is an effective alternative to our current justice system, but also one that heals communities,” said Stancioff, in a news release.  “RJP supports youth and adults in very tangible ways and provides the kind of meaningful dialogue between individuals and groups of people that is often lacking in today’s busy world."  

Stancioff will work in the RJP’s new office in the Damariscotta Baptist Church, 4 Bristol Road, in King’s Square, Damariscotta.  She welcomes visitors to stop by to say hello and learn more about restorative justice.  A sign is being made to note when she is in, to make visits more inviting and accessible.

RJP provides restorative justice services throughout Prosecutorial District Six. These interventions repair the harm of crime and wrongdoing by juveniles and young adults and restore security, well-being, and dignity to those harmed, using the Community Resolution Conference (CRC) model of a facilitated circle. 

There, offenders come to understand the impact of their actions by listening to victims and community members, and then commit to carry out agreed-upon actions to repair the harm caused by their offenses.  Many are medium- and high-risk youth and young adults who are facing court, probation, jail sentences, reentry, and suspension and/or expulsion from school.

Most have a multitude of related risk factors challenging their current likelihood of becoming successful community members. Yet the intervention of alternative restorative practices demonstrated throughout the country and mirrored in RJP’s statistics, reduces recidivism and offers the potential for second chances, new paths and better lives.   Restorative justice is increasingly recognized by school officials, police officers, juvenile community corrections officers, district attorneys and judges as highly effective alternatives to traditional methods of discipline and justice.

Support for the Restorative Justice Project is provided by state and local entities.  In 2013-2014, Lincoln and Sagadahoc County services were expanded to serve an estimated 500 or more community members with the help of grants from the John T. Gorman Foundation, the Lerner Foundation, Elizabeth Ann Leach Charitable Trust and individual donors.

For more information on how to get involved, contact the RJP central office at (207) 338-2742 or Stancioff at 207-975-9723 or online via info@rjpmidcoast.org or rjpmidcoast.org