Managerâs Message
Community Justice Update
One part of the Town of Colchesterâs community justice efforts includes funding the Essex Community Justice Center (ECJC) in partnership with the Town of Essex and the State Department of Corrections. ECJC provides restorative justice programming with a focus on crime prevention, conflict resolution, and meeting the needs of those affected by crime. Different programs include Community Restorative Justice Panels, Community Dialogue education, and the Circle of Support and Accountability Program (COSA), which helps those recently released from incarceration to successfully re-enter society.
In their spring newsletter, ECJC noted the largest trend in the Community Restorative Justice Panels since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic is a 60% increase in the number of referrals from Law Enforcement and the State Attorneyâs office. They explain this increase is due to the Chittenden County State Attorneyâs decision to send m