Mediators help people have difficult conversations
Our History - Since 1984, the Victim Offender
Reconciliation Program of Polk County has provided an alternative to
punitive justice. Restorative justice holds offenders accountable
for their actions, assists them to take responsibility for their
choices and gives them the opportunity to express regret and to make
things right for their victims. If victims are willing to
participate they have the opportunity to describe their losses,
share their feelings and seek restitution. Through face to face
mediation offenders realize that the crimes they commit impact
specific people, not just property, and that their crimes break
relationship with the communities they live in. Victims experience
restoration to wholeness as they hear someone accept responsibility,
express regret and work with them to reach an agreement to make
things right. Facts, feelings and questions about the crime are
discussed and both the victim and offender, assisted by a trained
volunteer mediator, negotiate a contract of restitution. 94% of
these VORP contracts are successfully completed because victims have
a direct say in what restitution looks like and offenders are held
directly accountable to their victim. Cases are referred to our
program by the courts, Polk County Juvenile Department., and
Sanction Court.
In addition to Victim Offender mediation, Community
Mediation Services of Polk County provides family and
community/neighbor-to- neighbor mediations, taking informal
self-referrals, and formal referrals from law enforcement and
interested or involved parties, helping the disputants resolve their
conflicts. We help people have difficult conversations. We also
provide dispute/conflict resolution training in local schools,
businesses, churches and other interested groups. We rely heavily on
our volunteer mediators who receive Basic mediation training. All of
our mediators meet or exceed Oregon Dispute Resolution Commission
rules and criteria (Oregon Administrative Rules – 716).
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