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).
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…
(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…
(c) Instruction required under this section must be designed to do all of the following: […] (9) Explore the various mechanisms of transitional and restorative justice that help humanity move forward in the aftermath of genocide.
(c) Curricula required under this section must be designed to do all of the following: […] (8) Explore the various mechanisms of transitional and restorative justice that help humanity move forward.
Summary: This administrative order creates an incentive plan for juvenile offenders in the Eighteenth Judiial Circuit in Florida. There is a matrix of sanctions, and “community restorative justice service” is a sanction (amount/hours vary) for the following 6 offenses: 1)…
Summary: This Administrative Order establishes juvenile alternative sanctions in the Fourth Judicial Circuit in Florida. “Community restorative justice service hours” is listed as an alternative.
(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…
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.
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…
(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…