The Restorative Justice Partnership: Yolo County District Attorney’s Office (Yolo County, California)

By Andreea Matei

The Restorative Justice Partnership (RJP) aims to use restorative justice to restore and reconnect a person who has committed harm within their community. In the perspectives of the RJP leadership and staff and staff from the Yolo Conflict Resolution Center we interviewed, traditional prosecution isn’t set up to rehabilitate people, and it is sometimes unnecessary and harmful to engage in traditional prosecution. They added further that the RJP is more survivor-centered than traditional prosecution in that it centers and addresses harm, allowing affected parties to be active members in the restorative justice process. It also explores the unique circumstances of the person who caused harm and the person or persons harmed. This case study, which is part of the Mapping Prosecutor-Led Diversion Project, focuses on the RJP’s evolution and its out-of-house approach, highlighting takeaways for other prosecutors and stakeholders looking to launch similar programs. The information included is based on the office’s submitted response to the Mapping Prosecutor-Led Diversion Project survey and interviews with program leadership, staff, and partners. This case study is intended as an overview of this diversion strategy and is not an assessment or evaluation.

Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2022. 6p.