Press Release UChicago Education Lab September 8, 2023

University of Chicago Education Lab Study Finds Restorative Practices Decrease Student Arrests In and Outside School

Chicago Public Schools saw a 35 percent reduction in arrests in school and a 15 percent reduction in out-of-school arrests for students at schools that implemented Restorative Practices.

CHICAGO—New research from the University of Chicago Education Lab finds that restorative practices in schools can significantly reduce student arrests, increase student perceptions of belonging and school safety, and decrease arrests for violent offenses. The study, which evaluated the effect of restorative practices (RP) implemented across Chicago Public Schools’ (CPS) high schools beginning in the 2013-2014 academic year, suggests RP is generating genuine, positive changes in underlying student behavior. Schools that implemented RP policies saw a staggering 35 percent reduction in student arrests in school and a 15 percent reduction in out-of-school student arrests. The study saw declines in arrests for both violent and non-violent offenses. 

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