NCJ Number
96270
Journal
Mediation Quarterly Issue: 5 Dated: (September 1984) Pages: 3-30
Date Published
1984
Length
28 pages
Annotation
The development of The Community Boards Program, the Nation's first neighborhood-based justice system, is discussed, and the goals, values, and ethics involved in developing neighborhood self-governance of disputes are described.
Abstract
Myths that purport to explain why the justice system is not working are debunked, and impacts on the community of a dysfunctional justice system are addressed. First, a dysfunctional justice system forces communities to tolerate conflicts; second, such a system undermines neighborhood, school, and individual safety; third, it promotes criminal conduct; fourth, it suppresses and evades conflicts; and fifth, it compromises the authority of the family. Separate systems of conflict resolution based in the community are urged, not only to resolve disputes inappropriate for the courts, but to ensure the proper functioning of the traditional justice system in adversarial adjudication. State-sponsored and State-encouraged alternative justice mechanisms, including agency mediation programs and The Polish Social Conciliatory Commissions, are examined, and the community board model is presented. A guide to the work, structure, and ethical considerations of a community conflict resolution system is presented. Finally, the discussion advises that developing and maintaining a neighborhood justice service is a democratic activity directly related to a community's capacity to manage its conflicts, train its residents, and maintain its own conflict resolution service. One figure is included.