Restorative Justice Project Maine has been awarded, for the second consecutive year, a grant by Abbagadassett Foundation to fund an internship with a justice system impacted individual. The one-year internship will begin in January 2026; applications will be received through Monday, December 5. The internship will be based at one of Restorative Justice Project Maine’s local offices, located in Belfast, Lewiston, and Portland.

The Justice System Impacted Internship is a unique opportunity for a returning citizen, according to RJP, in a news release. Returning citizens—i.e., persons reentering society after incarceration—face stigma and barriers to finding employment, housing, and opportunities to rebuild their lives. Restorative Justice Project Maine, thanks to the Abbagadessett grant, is able to offer a stable, supportive environment, job skills training, full benefits, and a liveable wage of $23.22/hour to an individual committed to repairing harm and helping others.

Restorative Justice Project Maine piloted the internship program in 2025, with Norman Hightower as their first Justice System Impacted Intern. Following a successful internship, Hightower has accepted a full-time salaried position with Restorative Justice Project Maine.

“Passionate belief in community and education makes the Abbagadassett Foundation an incredible partner for RJP Maine,” says Melissa Bellew, Board Chair of Restorative Justice Project Maine, in the release. “We are honored to collaborate for another year with the Abbagadassett Foundation to expand educational opportunities through internship for those that reenter our communities from carceral systems' impact."

“Leaving incarceration and re-entering the community is full of challenges and obstacles,” says Kathy Durgin-Leighton, Executive Director of Restorative Justice Project Maine. “This internship provides office skills, training in restorative justice, and public speaking opportunities within a supportive environment so that at the end of the year, they are better prepared to enter the workforce. Abbagadassett Foundation recognizes the potential of all humans, regardless of circumstances, and believes in investing in Maine people. We are grateful for their partnership.”

“I hope this can be as life changing for our next intern as it has been for me. This really is the foot-in-the-door type of opportunity that makes all the difference in a justice impacted individual's life,” said Norman Hightower, Restorative Services Support Specialist and 2025 Intern. “My position with this organization is unlike any employment I've ever had before in that it helps to give me a sense of purpose that allows me to face my struggles daily, knowing that I have the support of this entire organization behind me.”

“Norman has become a leader at Restorative Justice Project Maine,” says Emma Hirst, Restorative Justice Manager and Hightower’s coworker in Belfast. “Norman is an accredited advocate with lived experience of how restorative justice processes deeply affect his own healing and accountability journey. He reminds us everyday of the humanness that is at the core of restorative justice, and how relationships and connection can be leading factors in another's growth and evolution. He uplifts and propels restorative services at both the Maine Coastal Regional Reentry Center and the Knox County Treatment Court, in addition to being a devoted ally and contributor to adult harm repair cases, the recovery community, and so much more.”

Applications for the 2026 Internship will be received through December 5. Individuals who have been incarcerated (or are currently incarcerated with a predetermined release date) are eligible to apply. For more information, visit: https://rjpmaine.org/internship-opportunities\

The mission of Restorative Justice Project Maine (RJP Maine), is to promote a justice that is community-based, repairs harm, and creates safety and wellbeing for all. Restorative Justice is an approach to harm that focuses on the needs of those affected by the harm – including the person whose actions caused the harm, the person who was harmed, and the community where the harm occurred. It emphasizes repairing the harm, not through punishment and isolation, but through accountability, understanding the impact of the harm caused, and making amends.

RJP Maine works with youth in Androscoggin, Cumberland, Franklin, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Sagadahoc, Waldo, and York counties. Additionally, RJP Maine supports returning citizens, in partnership with the Maine Coastal Regional Reentry Center, and offers training on restorative practices to educators and community leaders.