Building Community-Led Alternatives to Youth Prosecution

What We Learned from King County’s Restorative Community Pathways Program

In King County, Washington, a groundbreaking initiative is showing what’s possible when communities lead the way in reimagining justice for young people. Restorative Community Pathways (RCP) is a pre-file diversion program that offers youth an alternative to prosecution after an encounter with law enforcement. Instead of entering the court system, young people — and the community members who experienced harm — receive culturally responsive, community-based support designed to promote accountability, mutual healing, and lasting well-being.

Impact Justice conducted an independent evaluation of RCP to understand how the program is working in practice, what outcomes it is achieving, and how it can continue to evolve. Using a mixed-methods approach, and drawing on qualitative and quantitative data from program records, interviews, and performance metrics, the evaluation found that RCP’s wraparound model delivers deeply individualized support. Although a lack of access to prosecutorial data limited our ability to assess long-term legal outcomes, the findings provide powerful evidence of the promise and challenges of community-based justice models.

RCP’s dual-focus model — serving both youth who have allegedly caused harm and the community members who experienced harm — appears to foster healing on both sides. Nearly all participants reported high satisfaction with the program, describing it as a supportive, non-punitive alternative to traditional legal system involvement. For community members, the opportunity to receive restitution, participate in restorative processes, and witness youth growth reinforced a sense of justice rooted in repair rather than retribution. Across both groups, participants reported increased feelings of belonging and connection, indicating that healing and accountability are deeply intertwined.

Additional resources:

Download a pdf of Evaluation of King County Restorative Community Pathways (RCP)