our history
serving our community since 2004
In 2004, Judge Mary Helen Maley Maynard (Santa Cruz County Justice Court), in collaboration with Dr. Linda Mills (New York University’s Center on Violence and Recovery), decided to develop a program that would meet the needs of underserved family violence victims in Santa Cruz County in a holistic, culturally sensitive manner.
Maley convened a diverse group of fifty community leaders from law enforcement, health, social services, and faith based communities to craft a program. The result was the establishment of Circles of Peace.
Since its inception, Circles of Peace has implemented a broad range of proven restorative justice strategies such as peacemaking talking circles, restorative community building, training, and trauma-informed care.
Utilizing restorative justice practices has allowed Circles of Peace to create systems that address community harms in the courtroom, in the classroom, within families, and in the community.