FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The Coconino County Attorney’s Office and the Navajo Nation Judicial Branch have launched a new restorative justice program that incorporates traditional Navajo peacemaking practices into Arizona’s criminal justice system.
The Peacemaking Diversion Program is believed to be the first formal partnership in the United States to integrate the Navajo Nation’s Peacemaking Program into a state criminal diversion process.
The program provides an alternative pathway for certain eligible criminal cases to be resolved through accountability, healing and restoration rather than through the traditional court process alone.
Participants may meet with victims, family members and community members in a facilitated peacemaking process intended to address the harm caused by an offense, encourage accountability and rebuild relationships.
Eligible charges may be dismissed following successful completion of the program. Officials said the process also provides victims with a direct and meaningful role in determining how the harm caused by an offense should be addressed.
“Justice is about more than punishment, it is about restoring what has been broken,” Coconino County Attorney Ammon Barker said. “This partnership recognizes that accountability and healing are not competing values.”
Barker said the program is intended to hold participants accountable, provide victims with a voice and strengthen community safety.
“I believe it represents an important step forward for justice in Arizona,” Barker said.
Navajo Nation Interim Chief Justice Eleanor Shirley said peacemaking has long been used to restore harmony through accountability, dialogue and respect.
“We are honored to partner with the Coconino County Attorney’s Office to share these traditional teachings in a way that benefits our communities while honoring the values that have guided the Navajo people for generations,” Shirley said.
Participation will be limited to cases carefully screened by the Coconino County Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors will consider public safety, the nature of the alleged offense, victim input and other relevant circumstances before approving participation.
Both Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals may be eligible for the program. Serious violent offenses and other disqualifying cases will not qualify.
The County Attorney’s Office said the partnership reflects a shared commitment to protecting public safety while recognizing the role accountability, healing and restoration can play in the justice system.
The principles behind the program are also featured in Finding Healing Through Peacemaking, a 12-minute documentary following Rachel Cox, whose young son was killed by a distracted driver.
Cox describes how participating in a peacemaking process helped her move from grief and anger toward understanding and healing.
The documentary also features Barker, Indigenous Affairs Administrator Rose Toehe and Rosiene Charley of the Navajo Nation Judicial Branch discussing the restorative principles that inspired the new diversion program.
