Javier is the founder of NGO Healing Dialogue and Action, and a former Director of the Office of Restorative Justice, a part of the Catholic Archdiocese in Los Angeles. Restorative justice means trying to create justice by ‘repairing’ the damage done using methods other than punishment, such as dialogue, education, and community service. Javier does everything from visiting children in prison to supporting victims of crime and influencing politicians and other decision-makers to make the criminal justice system more child-friendly.

In 2015, Javier received the World’s Children’s Prize Honorary Award for his 20+ years of struggle for children who have been imprisoned, survivors of violence, and their families.