NCJ Number
95284
Date Published
1984
Length
90 pages
Annotation
The nature and impact of Florida's juvenile arbitration/mediation programs are considered.
Abstract
Nearly three-fifths of Florida's nine juvenile arbitration and/or mediation programs are funded entirely by the State through the Juvenile Services Program (JASP) contract, and almost one-half are administered by private nonprofit JASP contractors. Results of a survey of program and nonprogram administrators indicate that respondents perceive the impact on victims who participate in the arbitration/mediation process to be positive. In addition, respondents feel that the system impact is totally positive, because arbitration/mediation has a quick referral system, good recidivism rates, and much greater cost efficiency than court proceedings; makes the court system more effective by keeping certain cases out of the system; and enables the court to devote itself to the more serious cases. The respondents were unanimously positive regarding the perceived impact of arbitration/mediation on the community. Many said that the arbitration/mediation process is 'citizen friendly;' others emphasized that the process saves money. A profile of Florida's courts is provided, and issues that should be addressed, including whether arbitration/mediation should be mandated on a statewide basis, are considered. Appendixes include copies of the survey questions and a report of the proceedings of the juvenile arbitration/mediation workshop. Workshop participants are listed. Also included are eight tables and four references.