Victim Offender Mediation

Victim Offender Mediation (VOM) brings willing victims face to face with their offenders in a safe, structured setting, facilitated by a neutral mediator, in which the offender is held directly accountable to those they have offended.

The Value of VOM

Victim Offender Mediation is a nationally-practiced, yet locally-underutilized restorative justice diversion that has great potential to alleviate judges' growing criminal caseloads in Gallatin County. Additional benefits of victim offender mediation include:

  • Forces offenders to take responsibility for their actions and work out meaningful amends with victims.
  • Empowers the victims and offenders to communicate and generate options for restoration.
  • Increases the community's understanding and ownership of the criminal justice process.
  • Minimizes the cost and is faster than the traditional justice process.

How It Works

  • An adult or juvenile case is referred to the Community Mediation Center for victim offender mediation.
  • A mediator contacts the victim and the offender to request their voluntary participation.
  • A mediator presides over a face-to-face meeting between the victim and the offender.
  • The victim and offender negotiate an agreement, which can include restitution, community service and other outcomes that repair the harm.

Results

The greatest benefit of VOM is that the victim and offender make the decision. Parties are not left with a decision imposed upon them by an outsider. The mediator is there to help the parties reach a decision by encouraging good communication, defining issues and helping to generate options for resolutions.

 
 

Want to support
this program?
Find out how!

 

Research About VOM

A 1994 study of VOM in four cities conducted by Dr. Mark Umbreit noted:

  • 3,142 cases were referred over 2 years with 95% resulting in successfully negotiated restitution agreements.
  • Juvenile offenders who met their victims were far more likely (81%) to successfully complete their restitution obligation to the victim than similar offenders who did not participate in a victim offender mediation (58%).
  • Crime victims who participate in VOMs are far more likely to be satisfied (79%) than similar victims who go through normal court processes. (27%)