By Lookout Staff

June 15, 2026 -- The City of Santa Monica is accepting applications for its new Restorative Justice Commission, which will help implement one of the largest locally-funded programs of its kind in the nation.

Once seated, the Commission will be "charged with developing criteria, eligibility standards, and oversight mechanisms" for a program that will direct $3.5 million, and up to $5.5 million, in funding towards "repairing harms perpetuated" by the City.

The seven Commission members -- who must be Santa Monica residents -- will be appointed by the City Council to four-year terms.

"Each appointee should have subject matter expertise relevant to restorative justice or have lived experience representing communities impacted by past and present inequities," City officials said.

The Council established the Commission last month as part of the City’s new Restorative Justice Program launched by the Council in January.

The program addresses "historically rooted harm caused by past municipal actions, advancing a priority initiative tied to equity, reconciliation and historic accountability," officials said.

The $3.5 million in one-time funding to launch the program came from the RAND Corporation as part of its Development Agreement with the City.

The Council will decide whether to use an additional $2 million in one-time funds from the agreement that is set to be paid by mid-2028.

The groundwork for the Restorative Justice program was laid last year, after the City agreed to pay $350,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of a Black entrepreneur that claims the Civic Center land for his beach club was taken by the City in the late 1950s.