NCJ Number
91480
Date Published
1982
Length
109 pages
Annotation
Conference addresses deal with aspects of the development and maintenance of alternative dispute resolution processes and programs at the Federal, State, and local levels, with attention to mediator training, program implementation and administration, and legal issues and implications.
Abstract
One paper examines progress in some Federal approaches to alternative forms of dispute settlement, notably an arbitration experiment in three Federal districts involving monetary cases that focus primarily on factual issues and the funding of three neighborhood justice centers. Another address describes four programs designed to handle disputes involving juveniles through community means other than formal juvenile court processing, followed by an address that discusses the following legal implications of mediation and arbitration: the confidentiality of communications and records within the programs, the equal protection implications of screening criteria, and procedural due process implications of actions taken within the program. An outline of an address notes the characteristics of various types of dispute resolution processes, the skills required in negotiation, mediation, and arbitration processes as well as how these skills may be applied in particular cases. A discussion of the implementation of Miami's mediation program covers the program's structural placement, publicity, selection of mediators, mediator training, and the types of cases heard. The concluding paper deals with areas where the State of Florida is anticipating helping local citizen dispute settlement programs to maintain and improve their operations, notably in the areas of mediator training, publicity, and funding. For individual documents, see NCJ 91481-86.