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).
If the pardons and paroles division receives notice from the victim services office of the department that a victim of the defendant, or the victim’s guardian or close relative, wishes to participate in victim-offender mediation with a person released on…
(a) A governmental body may appoint a governmental officer or employee or a private individual to serve as an impartial third party in an alternative dispute resolution procedure. The governmental body’s appointment of the impartial third party is subject to…
b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a defendant may participate in victim-offender mediation authorized by Section 508.324 on the request of the victim or a guardian of the victim or a close relative of a deceased victim.
(1) Victim impact panels may be conducted in person or by use of filmed versions approved by the Division. (2) Providers shall ensure that victim impact panels are available in English, Spanish and other languages as needed. (3) Providers shall…
(f) “Restorative justice program” means a school-based program or a program used or adopted by a local education agency that is designed: (i) to enhance school safety, reduce school suspensions, and limit referrals to law enforcement agencies and courts; and…
(c) shall take into account: (i) the minor’s ability to satisfy the restitution order within six months from the day on which restitution is ordered; or (ii) if the minor participates in a restorative justice program under Subsection (6), the…
Victim and offender mediation services” means services designed to provide victims the opportunity for a meeting to ask questions, express feelings, or discuss restitution agreements with the convicted offenders or delinquent juveniles involved in the crimes against such victims.
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…
If a child is adjudicated a delinquent child for committing an act that would be a felony if committed by an adult and if the child caused, attempted to cause, threatened to cause, or created a risk of physical harm…
District attorneys shall be authorized to create restorative justice programs for nonviolent offenders who qualify for a deferred prosecution agreement pursuant to the provisions contained in Sections 305.1 through 305.6 of this title and Section 2 of this act.