Christa founded the Restorative Community Foundation with a focus on addressing juvenile and young adult justice reform measures. She spent tireless hours advocating for restorative justice practices and legal reforms, working with community leaders and public officials at local, state and federal levels and within the court system.
As Director of the Restorative Community Foundation
The Restorative Community Foundation (RCF) was established in 2005 to invite a city to re-vision their current policies. It draws from the Centre for Justice and Reconciliation’s RJ City model and the cross collaborations that are demonstrated through state-wide projects such as the Vermont’s Community Justice Network.
The Restorative Community Foundation works on behalf of integrated community reforms that are supported by both state and federal reforms while working with existing state government agencies and public services. The RCF’s mission includes matching new leaders with current leaders in the field of restorative practices, identifying funding sources for their efforts, and developing data systems such that ‘making things right’ does in fact improve outcomes.
As a community leader
Christa was the Chair of the Juvenile Justice Committee for the criminal justice board, actively involved in the Dual Status Youth Initiative which looks to improve the area’s responses to justice involved youth who are also part of the area’s social services caseload.
In a related project, she served with the area’s mental health coalition in order to develop improved responses for youth that are in need of crisis stabilization and or substance abuse treatment.
As a career educator, Christa developed a keen understanding of the ways well meaning public systems can get in the way of individual’s efforts to correct a challenging period in their lives. And to this understanding, she was even more committed to restorative practices that include: school based restorative practices, restorative justice options for court services, family group decision making, and circle of accountability and support.