Restorative Justice Laws Database

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).

Massachusetts Minnesota Montana North Dakota Hawaii Idaho Washington Arizona California Colorado Nevada New Mexico Oregon Utah Wyoming Arkansas Iowa Kansas Missouri Nebraska Oklahoma South Dakota Louisiana Texas Connecticut New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont Alabama Florida Georgia Mississippi South Carolina Illinois Indiana Kentucky North Carolina Ohio Tennessee Virginia Wisconsin West Virginia Delaware District of Columbia Maryland New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Maine Michigan Alaska

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258 results found

Utah - Standards for Victim Impact Panels

(1) Victim impact panels may be conducted in person or by use of filmed versions approved by the Division. (2) Providers shall ensure that victim impact panels are available in English, Spanish and other languages as needed. (3) Providers shall…

Ohio - Programs for Crime Victims

Victim and offender mediation services” means services designed to provide victims the opportunity for a meeting to ask questions, express feelings, or discuss restitution agreements with the convicted offenders or delinquent juveniles involved in the crimes against such victims.

Ohio - Juvenile Restorative Justice Orders

The use of any restraints, such as handcuffs, chains, shackles, irons, or straitjackets, is highly discouraged. The routine use of restraints on juveniles is a practice contrary to the philosophy of balanced and restorative justice and undermines the goals of…

Ohio - Impact Statements Use for Delinquent Youth

If a child is adjudicated a delinquent child for committing an act that would be a felony if committed by an adult and if the child caused, attempted to cause, threatened to cause, or created a risk of physical harm…

Oklahoma - Transformational Justice Task Force

There is hereby created until July 1, 2010, the “Transformational Justice Interagency Task Force”. The Transformational Justice Interagency Task Force shall be composed of the following members:

Oklahoma - Implementation of Restorative Justice for Non-Violent Crimes

An Act relating to criminal procedure; amending 22 O.S. 2011, Section 305.2, which relates to deferred prosecution programs; authorizing district attorneys to create restorative justice programs for certain nonviolent offenders; authorizing the District Attorneys Council to develop and administer a…

Oklahoma - Pilot-Program for Restorative Justice

A. Beginning November 1, 2021, the District Attorneys Council is hereby authorized to develop and administer a five-year restorative justice pilot program that shall utilize citizen-led mediation panels. The purpose of the program shall be to divert offenders from the…