NCJ Number
81104
Date Published
1981
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This annual report describes the activities of the Neighborhood Mediation Center (NMC) in Portland, Oreg., during fiscal year 1980-81, including information and referrals in landlord-tenant cases, mediation in civil and criminal complaints, and outreach programs.
Abstract
The NMC processed 509 cases for conciliation and/or mediation panel hearings out of 804 referrals in the 12-month period beginning July 1980. Although the volume of regular referrals did not increase over the previous 2 years, the acceptance rate at intake rose substantially. The staff also responded to 295 referrals involving landlord-tenant issues, a considerable increase caused by the demise of tenant advocacy agencies. Most complaints involved adults and civil matters. Verbal abuse, disorderly conduct, vandalism, and property damage were common issues of dispute. Most referrals were self-referrals or from a law enforcement agency. Most of the complainants and defendants were white and 51 percent were female. Male participation increased 9 percent over the previous year, and black participation remained constant at 9 percent which is consistent with the proportion of blacks in the population. Asian involvement increased, probably because of NMC's outreach efforts. The 1-month followup showed that relationships between the parties had improved in 60 percent of the cases, while 90 percent reported satisfaction with the mediation services. Other information provided by the report concerns monthly processing rates, neighborhood origins of referrals, prior police contacts, and staff response time. Outreach activities included a Youth Outreach Project which trained 12 young adults in conflict resolution skills and a film on the mediation process which was shown to community groups. Statistics and the followup questionnaire are appended.