After losing one close family member to domestic violence and another to a life sentence in prison resulting from that tragedy, Jennifer James became a life-long advocate for the Restorative Justice movement, with a special passion for improving the lives of surviving victims of violent crimes.  In addition to her work towards criminal justice system reforms, Jennifer has also worked as a writer, website developer, bookkeeper, and yoga instructor.  Since adolescence, her mindful meditation practices have helped her heal from the trauma of domestic violence in her youth, and empower her to show up in the world from a place of nearly unshakable inner peace, with deep personal faith and devotion.  She believes deeply in the power of GRIP to help heal the underlying trauma that gave rise to violent behavior for the prisoners, and in the healing opportunities for surrogate victims to participate in the circles of GRIP’s tribes