Restorative Justice Diversion: A Better Way to Provide Meaningful Accountability for Youth

This report from the Sentencing Project provides an overview of restorative justice (‘RJ’) diversion programs including research on the results of these programs, the advantages of RJ diversion programming over court involvement, benefits to victims, and recommendations for implementing RJ programs. 

From the Executive Summary:  

“Restorative justice (RJ) diversion programs address adolescent lawbreaking outside the court system using a process designed to address victims’ needs and repair the harm caused by youth misconduct. RJ diversion programs yield far better results, including lower recidivism rates, than juvenile courts which focus on ascertaining guilt and assigning punishments. Nonetheless, restorative justice diversion opportunities remain rare for youth nationwide. This report presents the evidence base that overwhelmingly supports broadening eligibility criteria and making substantial investments to expand the use of RJ diversion, particularly for Black youth, and making it a commonplace approach to addressing adolescent lawbreaking.”