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) Members of the Victim-Offender Alternative Case Resolution Committee or board of directors of an organization with a victim-offender alternative case resolution program are immune from suit in any civil action based upon any proceedings or other official acts performed…
(b) A person who voluntarily enters an alternative case resolution process at a victim-offender alternative case resolution program established under this chapter may revoke that person’s consent, withdraw from the alternative case resolution process, and seek judicial or administrative redress…
(i) Beginning in Fiscal Year 2022, the Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants shall, on an annual basis, issue a grant of $200,000 to an organization that provides advocacy, case, management, and legal services, for the purpose of developing…
(b)(I) Based upon a request and recommendation by the division of youth services, the board may discharge all or a portion of a juvenile’s period of parole, as defined in section 19-2.5-1117(1)(b), without holding a hearing before the board or…
(2)(a) Conditions of probation must be customized to each juvenile based on the guidelines developed by the committee on juvenile justice reform pursuant to section 24-33.5-2402, as it existed prior to its repeal in 2022. The court shall, as minimum…
(3.5)(a) In determining the sentence for a first-time offender convicted of a bias-motivated crime, the court shall consider the following alternatives, which shall be in addition to and not in lieu of any other sentence received by the offender: […]…
(1) The purposes of this code with respect to sentencing are: […] (f) To promote acceptance of responsibility and accountability by offenders and to provide restoration and healing for victims and the community while attempting to reduce recidivism and the…
(2) The district attorney may agree to one or more of the following, depending upon the circumstances of the individual case: […] (f) To consent to an assessment for suitability for participation in restorative justice practices, including victim-offender conferences.
(1.9) Each presentence report must also: […] (b.5) Indicate whether the offender meets the minimum eligibility requirements as provided in sections 18-1.3-104(1)(b.5) and 18-1.3-204(2)(a)(III.5) for participation in restorative justice practices;
(2) Upon the entry of a plea of guilty to one or more of the allegations contained in the petition, the court shall advise the juvenile in accordance with rule 3 of the Colorado rules of juvenile procedure. The advisement…