Church Council on Justice and Corrections elects new president.

Maureen Murphy, senior coordinator for youth programs with the John Howard Society of Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont., has been elected the new president of the national Church Council on Justice and Corrections. CCJC advocates for healthy communities, restorative justice and crime prevention modelled on social responsibility approaches. The non-governmental organization runs a nation ally recognized project at the Ottawa courthouse that offers restorative responses for serious crime.

In her work with the John Howard Society, Ms. Murphy coordinates information and referrals among police, crown attorneys, courts, schools, justice providers and community service organizations to best serve the needs of young people who come in conflict with the law. She is also responsible for training volunteers. Ms. Murphy is currently studying in the Master of Theology program at Conrad Grebel University College, University of Waterloo, Ont., where she is specializing in the area of justice, peace and conflict.

Ms. Murphy joined the CCJC in 1994 after her appointment by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. In 2001, she received the Peace Medallion from the YMCA of the Waterloo region in recognition of her work in restorative justice models and for her volunteer associations, refugee concerns and national work with CCJC.