NCJ Number
111884
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 50 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1986) Pages: 53-56
Date Published
1986
Length
4 pages
Annotation
A 1985, nationwide survey of victim-offender reconciliation programs identified 21 such programs in opeation and 11 in development with plans for full implementation during the year.
Abstract
Of these, 78 percent were developed by private-sector organizations. The annual referral caseload for all programs totaled over 2,400, with 1,000 coming from the statewide Oklahoma Post-Conviction Mediation Program. Most included negotiated agreements for restitution and/or community service. Referred cases that actually resulted in a face-to-face meeting of offender and victim ranged from 50 to 100 percent, depending on the program. Of programs, 54 percent dealt primarily with juvenile cases, and 46 percent represented primarily adult referrals. Many programs worked with both. Theft and burglary were the most commonly referred offenses. Community volunteer mediators were used by 77 percent of programs. In many programs, meetings occurred at more than one intervention point: 49 percent held victim-offender meetings at a pretrial diversion stage, 66 percent between adjudication and disposition, and Minnesota, Massachusetts, and New York, illustrate the diversity of program sponsorship, referral sources, clientele, and major objectives. Victim-offender reconciliation and mediation appear to offer helpful sentencing alternatives for courts while holding offenders accountable and involving victims in the process of justice. 8 references.