NCJ Number
119864
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 53 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1989) Pages: 52-57
Date Published
1989
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Personal interviews with 50 victims of burglary committed by juveniles in Hennepin County (Minn.) formed the basis of an analysis of their perceptions of fairness in the handling of offenders.
Abstract
The participants had all been referred to the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program of the Minnesota Citizens Council on Crime and Justice during 1986 and 1987. Sixty-two percent of the victims had taken part in a mediation session with their offender. The rest chose not to enter the mediation process. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from all the participants. Findings revealed three dimensions of fairness: punishment of the offender, compensation of the victim, and rehabilitation of the offender. The most frequent concern was related to rehabilitation services for the offender, such as counseling, family therapy, or educational assistance. Participation by crime victims in the criminal justice process was also found to be a major element of fairness across all categories of victims. The victims who took part in mediation sessions also indicated high levels of satisfaction with the mediation process. Finally, those who took part in mediation were more likely than the others to have experienced fairness in the manner in which the criminal justice system dealt with their case. Tables and 25 references.