Center for Restorative Justice Works

Center for Restorative Justice Works Center For Restorative Justice Works
Uniting children, families, and communities.

Get On The Bus brings children and their guardians/caregivers from throughout the state of California to visit their mothers and fathers in prison. An annual event, Get On The Bus offers free transportation for the children and their caregivers to the prison, provides travel bags for the children, comfort care bags for the caregivers, a photo of each child with his or her parent, and meals for the

day (breakfast, snacks on the bus, lunch at the prison, and dinner on the way home)— all at no cost to the children’s family. On the bus trip home, following a four-hour visit, each child receives a teddy bear with a letter from their parent and post-event counseling. Get On The Bus is a program of The Center for Restorative Justice Works, a non profit organization that unites children, families and communities seperated by crime and the criminal justice system.

What does a 7-year-old carry when a parent goes to prison?An unexplained absence at school. Nightmares no kid should hav...
05/20/2026

What does a 7-year-old carry when a parent goes to prison?

An unexplained absence at school. Nightmares no kid should have. A secret they hold close. The weight of wondering, sometimes for years, whether it was their fault.

And alongside all of that, love. An unshakeable, just-want-my-mom-or-dad kind of love.

Researchers studying children of incarcerated parents have documented what families have known intuitively: these kids are at higher risk for anxiety, depression, behavioral challenges, academic difficulty, and disrupted attachment.

But research also tells us this: the children who do best are the ones who stay connected to their incarcerated parent through letters, phone calls, and, when it's possible, in-person visits.

That's why we do what we do. For the kids, for the families, for our communities because every family belongs together.

Earlier this month, Get On The Bus families were welcomed to High Desert State Prison, and we are still feeling the warm...
05/12/2026

Earlier this month, Get On The Bus families were welcomed to High Desert State Prison, and we are still feeling the warmth of the people who made it possible.

To Warden Kim Thornton, CRM Jolene Speers, and the entire HDSP team: thank you. Thank you for greeting our families at Sacred Heart Church in Susanville, as you do every single year. Thank you for the Friday night burgers and hot dogs with all the fixins. Thank you for the chicken parmigiana and pasta (made from scratch) that filled plates and hearts on Saturday.

The families are so grateful as are we. These trips are long, the emotions are big, and what your team does turns a hard journey into a moment of true hospitality, reminding everyone that they are seen, valued, and cared for.

It takes a village to reunite a family, and you are an essential part of ours. From all of us at CRJW and our Get On The Bus families, thank you.

05/10/2026

Today, we hold space for mothers who are loving their children from a distance.

Mothers inside, carrying their children in their hearts every single day.

Mothers waiting at home for a child to return.

Grandmothers and aunties stepping in with steady, fierce love.

Distance doesn’t change who you are to your child.

We see you. We're with you.

Happy Mother's Day from all of us at CRJW.

05/08/2026

💌 Will you help a child write to their incarcerated parent this year?

For families separated by incarceration, a letter is more than mail. It's a tangible piece of love that can be held, re-read, tucked under a pillow, or taped to the wall above a bunk. It's a keepsake, and for someone living in prison, it might be the most precious thing they own.

That's why every Stay Connected Kit we put in a child's hands contains stationery, envelopes, and 12 stamps — enough for one letter a month, every month, for a full year.

12 stamps = 12 letters = 12 chances to say "I love you. I miss you. I'm thinking of you."

Right now, we're stocking our next round of Stay Connected Kits and we need your help.

Will you donate a book of stamps? (Or a few?) Drop them off or mail them to:

📍Center For Restorative Justice Works (CRJW)
2350 West Beverly Blvd., Ste. 200
Montebello, CA 90640

Every stamp keeps a family connected. Thank you for helping write love back into our families.

2.7 million children in the U.S. have a parent who is incarcerated. That's 1 in 28 kids. Think about that. In classrooms...
05/05/2026

2.7 million children in the U.S. have a parent who is incarcerated. That's 1 in 28 kids. Think about that. In classrooms and on playgrounds across the country, children are quietly carrying the weight of a parent's imprisonment. Many never tell anyone. Many don't know where to turn. The research is clear: parental incarceration raises a child's risk of trauma, educational disruption, and long-term emotional harm. But that outcome is not inevitable… not when families stay connected.

For 25 years, CRJW has worked to make sure children don't have to carry that weight alone. Because every child deserves to know they are still loved, no matter what.

Share this post to help more people understand what's at stake.

crjw.org

On March 26, we gathered to celebrate 25 years of Get On The Bus, and the women whose faith made it possible.Sister Suza...
04/28/2026

On March 26, we gathered to celebrate 25 years of Get On The Bus, and the women whose faith made it possible.

Sister Suzanne Jabro, CSJ founded this program on a simple, radical belief: that no child should lose their relationship with a parent simply because of the walls between them. We also pause to remember Sister Suzanne Steffen, CSJ (1928–2016). Her presence in this community was a gift, and her spirit remains woven into everything we do.

What started as one bus, 9 incarcerated mothers, and 17 children has grown into a statewide movement that has touched thousands of families across California. We are so grateful to everyone who was part of this celebration. Your presence was a reminder of why this work matters and who it's for.

The 2026 Get On The Bus season is already underway. There is so much more to come. Thank you for 25 years. And thank you for the next 25. 🚌💙

View the full gallery at crjw.org/25years

Photos by: Nicole Godinez Photography

In 1999, representatives from the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet visited women's prisons in Chowchilla and Corona, ...
04/15/2026

In 1999, representatives from the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet visited women's prisons in Chowchilla and Corona, California. They listened. And what they heard broke their hearts. "We never see our children." That simple, devastating truth moved Sister Suzanne Jabro, CSJ to action. She organized the first Get On The Bus trip that same year: one bus, 9 incarcerated mothers, 17 children, and a vision that families belonged together no matter what.

Twenty-five years later, that vision has grown into a statewide program serving thousands of families across California. Last month, we gathered at the historic Doheny Mansion to honor Sister Suzanne and the journey she started. Stay tuned for more to come from that event!

Join us on Saturday, April 18th for a Parking Lot Yard Sale at St. John the Evangelist Church in Carmichael, CA.Stop by ...
04/12/2026

Join us on Saturday, April 18th for a Parking Lot Yard Sale at St. John the Evangelist Church in Carmichael, CA.

Stop by to see Jackelin alongside 40 vendors between 9am - 2pm. All proceeds will benefit our Get On The Bus program.💛

04/10/2026

At the Center for Restorative Justice Works, we believe connection changes lives.

Through programs like Get On The Bus, Women of Wisdom, and Transition4Success, we support children, families, and individuals impacted by incarceration.

Our work is rooted in dignity, healing, and the belief that strong families build stronger communities.

Learn more about how we are working to create pathways for connection and restoration at crjw.org

For 25 years, we've believed one thing: families belong together. The Center for Restorative Justice Works (CRJW) was fo...
04/08/2026

For 25 years, we've believed one thing: families belong together.

The Center for Restorative Justice Works (CRJW) was founded on a simple but profound truth - that the relationships torn apart by incarceration can be restored. Children don't have to lose both their parent AND their connection to them.

Through our programs — Get On The Bus, Women of Wisdom, and Transition4Success — we work alongside system impacted children, families, and communities every day.

Follow along, and please share our work with someone who cares about connection, families, and the power of community.

Address

2350 West Beverly Boulevard
Montebello, CA
90640

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+18189807714

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