Victim Offender Reconciliation Project (VORP) VORP is a program of the Community Justice & Mediation Center VORP is a Restorative Justice program used successfully in thousands of communities in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and through out the world. The first VORP in the United States was developed in Elkhart, IN in 1978. VORP uses the mediation process to directly involve the victim, the offender, and the community in finding solutions to the causes and effects of crime. The victim-offender mediation process can serve to humanize the criminal justice experience for both the victim and the offender. Through mediation offenders are held directly accountable to the people they have victimized, while at the same time seeing the impact of their behavior on others and being able to make specific restitution to repair the harm done. Crime victims and community members (as volunteer mediators and support persons) are allowed a more active involvement in the justice process, and research has shown that the process reduces further criminal behavior of offenders. You may wonder whether crime victims want to meet face-to-face with their offender. In fact, the majority of crime victims who are presented with the opportunity for mediation and dialogue choose to engage in the process, with a participation rate of over 60%. Cases are referred by the courts, probation and prosecutor’s office.
Cases are carefully screened and then turned over to trained community volunteers for mediation.
If both parties agree to participate, the volunteer meets with the victim
and offender separately to discuss the incident and further explain the
program. If both agree to proceed with mediation, a face-to-face meeting
will be scheduled where each has the opportunity to tell their story, ask
and answer questions, discuss losses incurred and possibilities for
restitution. Restitution focuses on how the offender can make it right
with the victim. The mediators help the parties agree to a written
restitution plan, which may be submitted to the court for approval. |
2004 © Community Justice & Mediation Center Last Updated 09/01/2004 |