Victim-Offender Mediation

The Concept:

The Victim Offender Mediation Program (VOMP) is an innovative criminal justice program that aims to meet the following goals:

1. Involve victims meaningfully in the criminal justice system.
2. Encourage offenders to be personally accountable for their behavior.
3. Increase active involvement of the community in the criminal justice system.
4. Expand sentencing alternatives available to judges.

The Process:

Briefly summarized, VOMP advances these goals by arranging face-to-face meetings between victims and the persons who victimized them.  The meetings are mediated by trained community volunteers and follow the following agenda:

1. FACTS:  Participants ask questions regarding the factual matters of the crime - What actually happened?  How did you get in the house?  What was taken?  What happened to my things?
2. FEELINGS:  Participants share the emotional consequences of the crime with each other - What did it feel like to realize that someone had been in the house?  What did it feel like to be arrested?  What was the sentimental meaning of the things taken?  How has your family responded to the crime?
3. REPAYMENT:  Participants discuss what needs to be done to "make things right" between victim and offender.  A restitution contract is negotiated and, if agreement is possible, signed by all parties.

Following the reconciliation meeting, the restitution contract is returned to the court and/or probation for approval and supervision.  Usually, the contract becomes a condition of the offender's probation.  VOMP staff helps to monitor the repayment and to work out difficulties that may arise.

Who We Are:

VOMP is a project of Innovative Alternatives, Inc., a private, nonprofit agency dedicated to providing positive correctional programs in cooperation with the local criminal justice system.  We are not a formal part of this system but do receive referrals from various criminal justice agencies.  As a community-based nonprofit, our agency receives support from both the public and private sectors and benefits from the volunteer involvement of interested persons from all walks of life in our community.  Similar VOMP programs are operated throughout the United States and Canada.  Our agency can also assist with counseling needs, upon request of the client, or refer you to other offender services within our community.

What We Do:

VOMP arranges meetings between victims and offenders after screening both the case and the individuals involved.  A trained, neutral, case-management volunteer from the community organizes the meeting. The case manager is there to help with communication and negotiation - NOT to make decisions or impose a settlement.

In general, VOMP assists in finding answers to problems caused by criminal offenses and helps in developing restitution agreements.  Depending on the source of the referral, we may also take responsibility fulfillment of that agreement and reporting successful or unsuccessful completion to the appropriate criminal justice agency.

Should either party not wish to proceed with the VOMP process, or an agreement cannot be reached, the case will be sent back to the referral agency and the judge will decide how to proceed from that point.  However, national surveys of VOMPs show that 60% of victims do wish to meet with their offender, and 96% of mediations result in contracts satisfactory to both parties and the court.

Innovative Alternatives, Inc. offers solutions to criminal justice problems that really work!

Primary funding for this program is provided by the Criminal Justice Division of the Governor’s Office of the State of Texas through a Victim of Crime Act Grant. The United Way of Greater Houston provides the required matching funds. All donations are welcome.