Why Restorative Justice in Education? Across the nation, school districts, their stakeholders, and policymakers have become increasingly concerned about the negative short- and long-term consequences on students of punitive and exclusionary disciplinary practices, often called zero-tolerance policies. Research consistently demonstrates that students of color disproportionately bear the burden of zero-tolerance policies, including facing suspensions, expulsions, referrals to law enforcement and arrests in school at higher rates than their white peers. Restorative justice in education (RJE) is emerging as a promising alternative to these practices for its ability to improve student behavior and to improve school climate, culture, and safety.  

RJE is not a program, strategy, or tool but rather a values-based approach to understanding and implementing a relational school culture that transforms schools into places where educators, students, and staff feel safe, trusted, and accepted.​ In order to effectively implement RJE, schools must intentionally infuse a restorative approach into all interactions and relationships within the school in addition to its policies, procedures, and structures. Restorative practices are both proactive (i.e., community building circles, collective creation of classroom norms, social and emotional learning) and responsive (i.e, harm and repair circles, problem solving activities). RJE aims to create a culture of care that advances student development, growth, learning, and empowerment. It is worth mentioning that 3 there are a handful of programs and practices that are sometimes confused with restorative practices, including youth/peer courts, but are not consistent with the RJE framework as youth/peer courts and similar programs are often focused on a reactive response to rule-breaking rather than a proactive approach to community-building. Schools and districts should consider whether a practice is aligned with the underlying principles and values of RJE when making implementation decisions.  

RJE in Utah

In 2017, the Utah State legislature passed House Bill 239, which provided opportunities for alternative school-related interventions, such as restorative justice practices, for certain offenses committed by students on school grounds. While HB 239 provided important evidence-based alternatives to punitive discipline, without a strong definition of restorative justice or a statewide implementation plan, it left many LEAs and schools wondering how to effectively implement restorative justice practices in their communities​.  

Beginning in August 2018, in partnership with the Utah Board of Juvenile Justice (UBJJ) and with support from the Utah State Board of Education (USBE), the research team assessed the current landscape, barriers, and opportunities to address the challenges posed by implementation of RJE throughout the State. Because educational contexts and approaches in Utah are varied (i.e., elementary, middle, and high schools; rural and urban context; high versus low implementation; whole-school model versus referral/partnership model), the research team conducted a legislative landscape scan to better understand best practice from across the nation; a statewide online survey; and site visits with four LEAs with varying contexts and levels of implementation to recommend solutions that address the varying needs both within and between LEAs across Utah. This report summarizes RJE implementation across the districts visited, identifies common barriers to implementation, and notes opportunities for further expansion of RJE across the state. ​ We commend the efforts of USBE in 2018 and 2019 to offer introductory RJE training for Districts and schools; and the recommendations contained within this report serve to complement and strengthen these existing efforts.