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).
(17)(a) “Diversion” means a decision made by a person with authority or a delegate of that person that results in specific official action of the legal system not being taken in regard to a specific juvenile or child and in…
(5)(a) The division of criminal justice, in collaboration with district attorneys or diversion program directors who accept formula money and programs providing juvenile diversion services, shall establish minimum data collection requirements and outcome measures that each district attorney’s office, governmental…
(4) District attorneys’ offices or the office’s designees shall: (a) On and after January 1, 2021, conduct a risk screening using a risk screening tool selected pursuant to section 24-33.5-2402(1)(c), as it existed prior to its repeal in 2022, for…
The district attorney and the presiding judge may establish a Restorative Justice Initiative within the judicial circuit for any case in the circuit or district court. The guidelines, rules, and mechanisms for such an initiative shall be promulgated by the…
As part of the pretrial diversion program, the district attorney may establish a restorative justice initiative (RJI) program within the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Lauderdale County. The guidelines and mechanisms for such an initiative shall be promulgated by the Alabama…
As part of the pretrial diversion program, the district attorney may establish a restorative justice initiative program within the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit in Etowah County. The guidelines and mechanisms for such an initiative shall be promulgated by the Alabama Office…