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 prosecuting attorney or a victim assistance program shall do the following: […] (9) In a county having a victim-offender reconciliation program (VORP), provide an opportunity for a victim, if the accused person or the offender agrees, to: (A) meet…
(a) If a victim participates in a victim-offender reconciliation program (VORP) operated by a victim assistance program under section 4(9) of this chapter, the victim shall execute a waiver releasing: (1) the prosecuting attorney responsible for the victim assistance program;…
Juvenile diversion may include restorative justice services.
(a) The purpose of the juvenile diversion grant program is as follows: (1) Prevent further involvement of the child in the formal legal system. (2) Provide eligible children with alternatives to adjudication that require the least amount of supervision and…
As used in this chapter, “community corrections program” means a community based program that provides preventive services, services to criminal or juvenile offenders, services to persons charged with a crime or an act of delinquency, services to persons diverted from…
(b) As used in this chapter, “restorative justice services” means services focused on repairing the harm caused to victims and the community as a result of a child’s behavior.
“Restorative justice services” has the meaning set forth in IC 31-37-8.5-1.
(c) Members of the Whole Child Task Force shall be appointed by the State Superintendent of Education. Members of this task force must represent the diversity of this State and possess the expertise needed to perform the work required to…
(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…
(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…