Restorative Justice: A Look at Victim Offender Mediation Programs

This report conceptualizes the effectiveness and benefits of utilizing the restorative justice model of Victim Offender Mediation (VOM) within the criminal and juvenile justice systems to serve the rights of victims, offenders, and society more justly. Victim Offender Mediation is discussed as a possible alternative justice model which reframes the victim-offender relationship to foster and respect the dignity and worth of each participant. This restorative justice model combats victims’ feelings of helplessness by giving them back their voice, while having the potential to specifically offer relief to those secondarily victimized by the legal system in cases of simple rape. Offenders may be offered more just sentencing after participation in VOM, which could provide them with the personal and social resources to overcome the stigma of their criminalized identity. The cost-effectiveness of the federal implementation of VOM in cases of drug offenses could greatly benefit society. Voluntary participation in Victim Offender Mediation, as an alternative justice model, is an integral part of maintaining the model’s integrity to better address human rights and social justice within the United States of America and on a global scale