State RJ Council and CCRJP Announce New Colorado Restorative Justice Practitioner Guidelines

As part of International Restorative Justice Month, the Colorado Restorative Justice Coordinating Council (RJ Council) and the Colorado Coalition for Restorative Justice Practices (CCRJP) are excited to introduce the new Colorado Restorative Justice Practitioner Guidelines. These Guidelines will help strengthen the fidelity of RJ practice in Colorado, while also making RJ more supportive, equitable, and accessible for those seeking services. The purpose of the Guidelines is to serve as a primary reference for RJ programs and practitioners in Colorado, to guide the training and ongoing preparation of RJ practitioners, and to promote public confidence in restorative processes to repair harm, foster accountability and healing, and strengthen relationships and communities.

Since the adoption of Colorado’s pioneering RJ Practice Standards document in 2012, implementation of Restorative Justice has been evolving and ever-growing. The RJ community acknowledged a need to update the original document to ensure it remained relevant and a trusted resource for those engaging in RJ practices across Colorado. These Guidelines are designed to be a compass that centers core RJ values and principles broadly applicable across the multiple system-based and community pathways in which RJ is being practiced in our state. A group of dedicated volunteer practitioners, led by the seasoned RJ practitioner Kathleen McGoey, spent countless hours researching, holding focus groups, revising, editing and drafting the new Guidelines. We welcome your engagement with these Guidelines, and hope the RJ Community finds them valuable.

The RJ Council, a statutorily-mandated entity within the Judicial Department composed of a mix of 19 system and community-based representatives, adopted the new Guidelines in June 2024. In August 2024, the Board of CCRJP, a statewide 501(c)(6) membership organization supporting the common interests of restorative justice practices, also voted to endorse the Guidelines. CCRJP and RJ Council members were well-represented throughout the revision process. All 12 volunteers who assumed primary drafting and editing roles – as well as project facilitator Kathleen McGoey – are CCRJP members, four of whom also serve on the RJ Council. Additionally, a joint workgroup from leadership of the two organizations provided additional oversight for the project. With these new Guidelines, Colorado continues its role as a national leader in forwarding core RJ values and best practices within its RJ practice community. For those interested in learning more about the actual writing and editing process, please click here for the detailed Guideline Report.

RJ programs and practitioners in Colorado are encouraged to study and commit to the new Guidelines as central to their on-going practice and training. Further efforts to elevate the new Guidelines within the RJ practitioner community, as well as with referral sources and the general public, are forthcoming. Updates about these developments will be available through the RJ Council and CCRJP websites. The RJ Council website also provides public access to a directory and map of Colorado’s RJ programs and practitioners.

You can access the new Colorado Restorative Justice Practitioner Guidelines here. Beginning with a Global Indigenous Practice Acknowledgement, each of the 11 Guidelines address a key element of fidelity of practice, such as Self-Determination, Equitable Inclusion and Access, Confidentiality, and Trauma-Informed Practices. Feedback on the Guidelines is welcome through this link also included in the document. Please consider sharing this more broadly with other interested colleagues, contacts, and networks.

Contact:
Matt Riede, RJ Council Staff, matthew.riede@judicial.state.co.us
Cristina M. Cabeza, CCRJP Executive Director, ccrjpgeneral@gmail.com

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