Rule Violaton Diversion
Overview
A restorative alternative to rule violations focused on accountability, fairness, and behavior change.
Our Rule Violation Diversion program is an in-custody trial pilot at the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center (SQRC) that provides a restorative alternative to punitive responses for non-violent rule violations. Any violation, even a small technical violation such as showering at the wrong time or being late for work, can derail parole timelines and deepen resentment without addressing why something happened or what needs to change.
This pilot creates structured, facilitated conversations between the resident and custody staff to build understanding of causes, impact, clarify expectations, and agree on an accountability plan. When the accountability plan is completed appropriately, the rule violation is voided — helping reduce unnecessary long-term consequences while strengthening accountability, dignity, and helping to create a safer institutional climate. This also helps people develop their accountability and dispute resolution skills, which is helpful when they eventually come home to be someone’s neighbor. This is rare and innovative work that provides a better pathway for residents and staff to make genuine progress toward shared goals.
What we offer
- Paired cohorts where participants (weekly in-person meetings) and family members (weekly video conferencing meetings) learn the same tools in parallel
- Structured skill-building focused on communication, conflict navigation, emotional skills, healthy intimacy, empathy, accountability, and repair
- Reentry safety planning for participants and families — including parole conditions, relationship pressures, and practical strategies to avoid high-risk situations and prevent avoidable setbacks.
- Practice between sessions so families can apply tools to real life and build shared expectations
- Facilitated restorative dialogue at key moments to support truth-telling, understanding, and healthier reunification
- Trained facilitation teams from Harm to Healing Collaborative, including former Transformative Mediation graduates, both inside and outside
Who is it for?
This pilot serves residents and custody staff at SQRC who want a structured, accountable way to address minor rule violations and prevent avoidable escalation and long-term consequences. With success, this program can be expanded to other institutions.
Outcomes
- Better understanding of what happened, why, and what the impacts were
- Clearer expectations and more consistent follow-through after violations
- Increased accountability and behavior change without defaulting to punishment
- Reduced unnecessary parole impacts from technical violations (when appropriate)
- Improved communication and reduced divide between residents and staff over time
When Restorative Approaches Work Best
Rule Violation Diversion works best for non-violent, non-drug, non-gang rule violations where a restorative conversation is appropriate, voluntary participation is possible, and safety can be supported. The process complements but does not replace necessary safety responses or institutional authority.
How it works
- Custody staff may request a restorative alternative instead of writing a rule violation in appropriate situations, or after the fact.
- Residents may also request the restorative option after a violation.
- Trained peer mediators from the Transformative Mediation program typically facilitate these conversations, with support from Harm to Healing Collaborative staff as needed.
Funders: Support expansion of restorative alternatives that strengthen safety and reintegration Work With Us
Institutions: Explore replication and implementation support Contact Us
Why this matters
“It was very reassuring to be with other family members who are going through the same thing and have open conversations with a sense of acceptance and understanding that you rarely find in other settings. And we got very good advice about what our loved ones would need after they got out, which is a lot for everyone to navigate.”