NCJ Number
97698
Date Published
1984
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This workshop summary defines institutionalization; addresses questions regarding its purpose, priorities, and disadvantages; and reports on New York's experience with its Community Dispute Resolution Centers Program.
Abstract
Workshop participants discuss the need to think of ways to make mediation an adjunct to public sector processes. These could include generating laws to add mediation to administrative processes, having judges rely on mediation first, and having citizen participation processes incorporating mediation. The institutionalization of mediation has caused problems, as evidenced in California and New York. These problems include (1) bureaucratization, (2) measurement of success in terms of the numbers of settlements, and (3) the failure to consider what constitutes effective mediation. Participants also consider the advantages, disadvantages, administration, and general experience of the implementation of New York's Community Dispute Resolution Centers Program. It is concluded that programs can be developed on a State level to include large cities such as New York and small rural communities. These programs can be administered by one agency without losing local community involvement. New York's program can be replicated by other States. The New York program has grown from 12 local programs in 1981 to 35 in 1983. Dispute resolution is becoming a fully institutionalized program in New York State.