NCJ Number
159196
Journal
Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 64 Issue: 11 Dated: (November 1995) Pages: 21-25
Date Published
1995
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Juvenile mediation programs should be implemented in larger urban areas to determine how they work, because programs in many countries around the world have demonstrated that mediation is a workable approach to satisfy the interests of society, the victim, and the juvenile offender.
Abstract
Mediation programs currently operate in Canada, England, Finland, and the United States. More than 32 programs in the United States provide some kind of victim- offender mediation. These programs respond to two common complaints about the current juvenile justice system: that many juveniles are not held accountable and that victims have no input into delinquency matters. Most juvenile delinquency consists of relatively minor offenses such as property crimes and minor assaults. However, no reliable research exists to support the view that increasing punishments for juvenile offenders reduces juvenile crime. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a mediation program as part of every juvenile court and probation system. Either paid staff or trained volunteers can act as mediation. Both the victim and offender must agree on the mediator. Mediation has been used successfully for both misdemeanors and felonies. It most often involves individual victims. Although the benefits of mediation must be weighed against its costs, mediators need not be expensive professionals. Mediation provides increased attention to each young offender, while allow victims to express their feelings and better understand why the offense was committed against them. Society receives reparations as well. Photographs and 15 reference notes