Essay On Victim Offender Mediation

The Victim Offender Mediation Association was developed out of the informal network of practitioners, researchers, and theorists in victim-offender mediation and restorative justice in the early 1980’s. It was originally called the U.S. Association for Victim-Offender Mediation and became VOMA in 1997. Being an international organization there are currently 350 members and 30 agency members in the 40 states and 7 countries. Victim-offender mediation programs around the world have increased to more than 1200 since 1990. The growth in this field and its influence on criminal justice systems has created a great need for professional support and ongoing education for those who put restorative justice into action. VOMA promotes and provides

A face-to-face meeting is set up, in the presence of a trained mediator, between the victim of the crime and the offender who committed the crime. In some cases, the victim and offender are joined by a family member or a community member. During this meeting, the offender and the victim can converse with one another about the crime, what happened, the effects of the crime on their lives, and their feelings about it. They may choose to create a mutually agreeable plan to repair any damages that occurred because of the crime. This idea was brought together based on age-old values of justice, accountability, and restoration. This process allows crime victims the opportunity to get questions answered they have about the crime and the person who committed the crime. The victim can take an active part in getting their material and emotional needs met, which suffered as a result of the crime. Research has shown that the victims who participate in VOM receive more restitution as well as feeling safer and less fearful afterwards, than those who do not participate in VOM. The offender is given the opportunity to take responsibility for what they have done and they learn the impact of their actions on others. They get to take an active role in making things right with the person they committed the

Cases are referred to victim offender mediation programs by judges, probation officers, victim advocates, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and police. In some instances, a referral is used as a diversion from prosecution, assuming any agreement reached during mediation is successfully completed. However, other cases are usually referred after a formal admission of guilt has been accepted by the courts and mediation being a condition of probation, but only if the victim has volunteered to participate. The most important thing to accomplish is the support and healing process of the victim and strictly on a voluntary basis. As well as to allow the offender to learn the impact of the crime to the victim and to take responsibility for their actions and behavior. It’s extremely important that sensitivity to the needs of the victim is maintained at all times. The mediator must do everything possible to ensure the victim will not be harmed in any way and should be given choices, whenever possible, concerning decisions such as when and where the mediation session will take place, who is present, and who will speak first,