The National Center on Restorative Justice’s Restorative Justice Laws Database was created as a resource for restorative justice advocates, practitioners, and researchers as well as policy-makers across the United States. Our aim is to organize and display in an easily navigated format the ways in which states have codified the use of restorative justice approaches.
Thank you to Shannon Sliva (University of Denver) and Thalia González (UC Law San Francisco) for their advisement and expertise throughout the process of creating this database. Thank you to Karen Sheu and Anna VanRoy for their data collection work.
This Restorative Justice Laws Database builds on an earlier legislative directory created in 2014 by Shannon Sliva in partnership with Carolyn Lambert (Georgia State University College of Law) and hosted by the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work from 2019 to 2024.
The laws included in this database were identified by conducting a search in Westlaw and LexisNexis using the terms visible under “Form of Practice” in the database search options below. Only laws that feature one or more of these terms are included in the database. Use of the terms in the text of the law does not necessarily mean that restorative justice practice is occurring in the given jurisdiction.
The NCORJ is committed to continuing to update this database. If you see something that is missing or a correction is required, please be in touch. For more information about the development of the database, to get assistance navigating it, or to request a copy of the raw data for research purposes, please contact Lindsey Pointer (lpointer@vermontlaw.edu).
(a) The superintendent of a school district, the principal of a school, or the principal’s designee may refer a victim of, witness to, or other pupil affected by, an act of bullying, as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (r)…
(c) For a pupil who has been suspended, or for whom other means of correction have been implemented pursuant to subdivision (b), for an incident of racist bullying, harassment, or intimidation, local educational agencies are encouraged to have both the…
(a) A local educational agency that receives a grant shall use the grant funds for planning, implementation, and evaluation of activities in support of evidence-based, nonpunitive programs and practices to keep the state’s most vulnerable pupils in school. These activities…
The district attorney and the presiding judge may establish a Restorative Justice Initiative within the judicial circuit for any case in the circuit or district court. The guidelines, rules, and mechanisms for such an initiative shall be promulgated by the…
Restorative justice as established in Section 12-17-226.6. (i) Victim impact panels. (ii) Voluntary victim offender conferencing. (iii) Voluntary victim offender mediation.
As part of the pretrial diversion program, the district attorney may establish a restorative justice initiative program within the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit in Etowah County. The guidelines and mechanisms for such an initiative shall be promulgated by the Alabama Office…
As part of the pretrial diversion program, the district attorney may establish a restorative justice initiative (RJI) program within the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Lauderdale County. The guidelines and mechanisms for such an initiative shall be promulgated by the Alabama…
(a) The restorative justice account is created as a separate account in the dividend fund. The commissioner shall transfer from the dividend fund to the restorative justice account each fiscal year an amount equal to the amount that would have…
(a) Subject to appropriation, the office of victims’ rights is authorized to pay outstanding balances on orders of restitution under AS 12.55.045 or AS 47.12.120. The office of victims’ rights shall coordinate and make payments from the restorative justice account…
Restorative Justice Programs. (1) With the consent of the victim(s), the Department and the juvenile may stipulate to a stay of disposition pending a referral of the matter to a restorative justice program. The parties must inform the restorative justice…