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).
2. Report of incident of dangerous behavior. Upon receipt of a report made by a teacher or school staff person of an incident of dangerous behavior, a school administrative unit shall review the reported incident and develop an individualized response…
(iii) Other school quality indicators may include: […] 5. Data on discipline and restorative practices;
(3) “Restorative practices” means practices conducted in a whole-school ethos or culture that supports peacemaking and solves conflict by building a community and addressing harm in a school setting and that: (i) Are conducted by trained staff; (ii) Focus on…
(4) A professional development program developed under the Program shall provide training and education in one or more of the following: […] (iii) Effective management of student behavior, including training in the use of restorative practices and trauma-informed approaches to…
(d) All licensed and distinguished principals shall: (1) Be trained in and demonstrate capability with racial awareness and cultural competence, including: (i) Teaching students and managing teaching faculty from different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds; and (ii) Implementing restorative practices;
(e) “Wraparound services” means: […] (5) Additional social workers, mentors, counselors, psychologists, and restorative practice coaches;
D. (1) The school master plans required of city, parish, and other local public school boards by this Section shall make provision for pre-service and ongoing grade appropriate classroom management training for teachers, principals, and other appropriate school personnel regarding…
(d) Behavioral health services organizations contracted pursuant to paragraph (c) of this subsection may utilize restorative practices designed to hold the participant accountable to the victim if there is an identified victim and, in the professional opinion of the behavioral…
(9) Volunteers of America–Freedom House: Included in the above General Fund appropriation is $4,000,000 in each fiscal year to support the Freedom House administered by Volunteers of America. Included in the above General Fund appropriation is $250,000 in each fiscal…
(9) “Recovery services” means rehabilitative treatment services that shall include but not be limited to any or all of the following: […] (j) Restorative practices designed to make the participant accountable to the victim when there is an identified victim,…