Illinois Balanced and Restorative Justice Project

The mission of Illinois Balanced and Restorative Justice is to provide leadership, education and support that promotes the principles, practices, implementation and sustainability of Balanced and Restorative Justice.

Illinois BARJ is made up of collaborations from around the state representing victim and offender advocates, the judiciary, prosecutor and defense attorneys, law enforcement, probation, corrections, schools, community and faith-based organizations.

We envision a state in which:

• Those who have been harmed (victims) experience healing and are restored, as much as possible, to a state of well being;
• Community members feel safe and empowered to share responsibility for the safety of their neighborhoods; and
• Those who have caused harm (offenders) learn to accept responsibility for their actions and further develop the skills needed to lead constructive lives; opportunities are provided to repair harm to the extent possible through involvement with victims and communities .