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).
The use of any restraints, such as handcuffs, chains, shackles, irons, or straitjackets, is highly discouraged. The routine use of restraints on juveniles is a practice contrary to the philosophy of balanced and restorative justice and undermines the goals of…
The New Hampshire Superior Court has established a Felony Settlement Conference Program in order to provide an avenue of negotiation between parties and settlement of criminal cases. Settlement conferences may be used for evaluative, facilitative, and restorative justice purposes, and…
(b) Consideration of relatives for placement. The report shall include information about how the agency considered relatives for placement, including: […] (2) a description of the process the agency used to consider relatives for placement, including who was consulted, whether…
(a) Abuse Neglect, and Dependency Cases. In cases under articles II, III, and IV of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, on motion of any party or on its own motion, the court may in its discretion hold a Court…
(a) An initial domestic relations court filing, whether opening a new case or post judgment, that involves a child custody proceeding except for those exempt cases below, shall be set for mandatory case management conference per Illinois Supreme Court Rules…
6. If the parent(s) agree to voluntarily participate in Early Childhood Court, the following procedures shall occur after the child or child(ren) are adjudicated dependent: a. The identified parent(s) will review and sign applicable consents accepting transfer of the case…
8. If the parent agrees to voluntarily submit to the Family Drug Court program option, the following procedures shall occur: a. The identified participant(s) in the Family Drug Court will be scheduled for a Family Group Conference.
(e) Hate crime sentencing goals. When sentencing a defendant under this rule, the judge must consider the principal goals for hate crime sentencing. (1) The principal goals for hate crime sentencing, as stated in section 422.86, are: […] (C) Restorative…
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…
Restorative Justice Programs. (1) With the consent of the victim(s), the prosecutor, and the defendant(s), the judge may refer a case to a restorative justice program. The parties must inform the restorative justice program about any applicable mandatory sentencing provisions…