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).
(10) “Diversion” means an alternative to formal prosecution of a juvenile offense. Diversion describes intervention approaches that redirect juveniles away from formal court processing in the juvenile justice system while applying the principles of the balanced approach and restorative justice.…
(f) The department shall: […] (5) Report annually to the board, and make public on its website, the following: (A) Changes in the use of discipline over the past three years; and (B) Information on the extent to which schools…
(c) Informal adjustment under this section may include, among other suitable methods, programs, and procedures, the following: […] (11) Participation in a restorative justice program where the child and the child’s parents or guardian, and other supporters of the child,…
(a) There is established within the judiciary, for administrative purposes, a commission to be known as the women’s corrections implementation commission. The commission shall: (1) Develop and implement an evidence-based, gender-responsive plan to divert non-violent women offenders, especially those with…
(b) Subject to funding by the legislature or other appropriate sources, the department of corrections and rehabilitation shall authorize the purchase of service contracts for activities that: […] (26) Consider establishing the use of reentry courts to: […] (C) Facilitate…
(a) The department of corrections and rehabilitation shall develop performance measures that accurately reflect progress toward specific goals, including: (1) Improving recidivism rates; (2) Decreasing prisoner assaults on correctional staff; (3) Reducing correctional staff turnover; and (4) Improving departmental efficiencies…
(a) The permanency plan requirements under Code Sections 15-11-230, 15-11-231, and 15-11-232 shall apply to proceedings involving a child alleged or adjudicated to have committed a delinquent act and placed in foster care. (b) In addition to the compelling reasons…
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.
(1) District school boards shall promote a safe and supportive learning environment in schools by protecting students and staff from conduct that poses a threat to school safety. A threat management team may use alternatives to expulsion or referral to…