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).
(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…
(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.
(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…
(1) Definitions.–For purposes of this section, the term: (a) “Board” means a Restorative Justice Board established by the state attorney pursuant to subsection (3). (b) “Center” means a Neighborhood Restorative Justice Center established by the state attorney pursuant to subsection…
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)…
(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…
(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,…
(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.…
(11) Create and maintain programs for juveniles that (A) are developmentally appropriate, trauma informed and gender responsive, and (B) incorporate restorative principles and practices.
(b) By the start of the school year beginning in 2021, DCPS shall adopt a school security personnel training curriculum based on the positive youth development philosophy. The curriculum shall focus on training supervisory and on-site personnel to provide security…