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Victim/Offender Mediation
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In the traditional way of responding to criminal acts—a plea or finding of guilty and sentencing by a judge—the way the matter is dealt with often has little connection to what actually happened. Victims, to a large degree are left out of the process and Offenders are punished with the hope that such punishment will prevent future criminal acts.
Victim/Offender Mediation takes another approach to responding to criminal acts, an approach that attempts to take seriously what happened, what the impact of what happened was on people, who was impacted, and what ought to be done to move toward making things right.
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Victim/Offender mediation
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- Holds the Offender accountable directly to the person(s) they offended. What they do in response to the crime they committed can be directly connected to what they did and whom they hurt. The consequences can be more “severe” than what would happen in court and can be tailored directly to who committed the act, whom they hurt, and what they did.
- Allows the Victim(s) to get involved and have a say in how the matter should be dealt with. Their concerns and interests are on the table. They feel empowered and taken seriously. They have an opportunity to get answers to questions that may have been bothering them ever since the event happened. If the event has made Victims more afraid, mediation can often help to allay those fears.
- Works toward restoring what has been broken—in the community, in people’s lives, in trust levels, and in an all-around sense of well-being—by bringing people together around a table and dealing with issues and interests that matter to the people who were impacted.
- Can deal with the underlying issues that led to the criminal act that was committed. It may well be when those underlying matters are dealt with, Victims will feel more satisfied and Offenders will no longer have reason to offend.
- Takes seriously that a law has been broken. It is only when an agreement is reached between the Victim and the Offender and the terms of that agreement have been completed that the charges are removed. This means Offenders must take the process and what they agree to seriously and are helped to recognize that laws are there to be obeyed.
- Treats crime as an offense against people and as something that breaks down the fabric of community. It creates the possibility of healing hurts and restoring a greater sense of community.
In Swift Current, Victim/Offender matters are generally identified by the RCMP, approved by Public Prosecutions (the Crown Attorney) and then referred to The Salvation Army. Defence counsel, the offender, and/or the victim can also ask for mediation. The Public Prosecutions office may take the initiative to send a matter to mediation. Whoever initiates the process, Public Prosecutions must approve the file and makes the referral to The Salvation Army. Many cases involving adult offenders are sent by The Salvation Army to Grasslands Mediation to be mediated.
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Upon receiving a file, we will
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- contact the Victim to discuss mediation,
- answer questions, and
- invite their participation.
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- contact the Offender and
- do an intake interview.
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- set up a meeting between the Victim and the Offender and
- help the two parties talk about what happened,
why it happened,
the impact the even had and
what needs to be done to settle the matter.
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Upon reaching an agreement the file is sent back to The Salvation Army for monitoring, follow-up and reporting to the authorities.
The cost of Victim/Offender mediation is paid for by the Saskatchewan Government.
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