Victim Offender Meeting

Victim Offender Meetings are a voluntary, confidential process in which trained community mediators organize face to face meetings between offenders and victims of crime. The Victim Offender Meeting Program (VOMP) is part of the Clackamas County Juvenile Department. Referrals come from Juvenile Department staff. During the process the facts of a case are revealed, feelings about the offense are expressed and restitution agreements are negotiated.

Victims often have questions which only their offender can answer. Victim Offender Meeting (VOM) provides a unique opportunity for this questioning to take place in a safe, controlled environment. During these meetings, victims are encouraged to express, directly to their offender, how the crime affected them. Without VOMP, offenders are rarely confronted with the human consequences of their actions.

With VOMP, victims play an active role in determining the amount of restitution and in deciding how it is to be repaid.

VOMP gives offenders an opportunity to explain the circumstances surrounding the incident-to tell their story. Offenders are given the chance to apologize directly to the victim. The process allows offenders to be responsible for their actions and often results in unique and realistic repayment arrangements such as work for victims or community service work.

VOMP relieves the court system of the burden of establishing restitution amounts. Referrals to VOMP often result in quicker disposition of cases. VOMP offers the Clackamas County Juvenile Department an opportunity to involve victims and address their needs in a meaningful way. Members of the community are offered the opportunity to solve some of their own problems in a creative way. Statistics have shown that resolution and restitution are more successful than some other alternatives.

The Process:

• Police report is given to a Juvenile Department Counselor
• Juvenile Department Counselor reviews the case
• Juvenile Department Counselor refers the case to VOMP
• Case is reviewed by VOMP coordinator
• Letter is sent to offender
• Meeting is held with offender
• Letter is sent to victim(s)
• Meeting is held with victim(s)
• VOM session occurs
• Agreement is signed by all parties
• Questionnaires are provided to victim, offender, and parents
• Facilitator does a follow -up and monitors the case

After each VOM all parties including observers are asked to fill out questionnaires. The intent is to get feedback as to how the process went for everyone. Constructive criticism is encouraged. Hundreds of people have filled out the questionnaires. The responses have been overwhelmingly favorable. The following is a sampling of some comments provided on questionnaires.

"I worked everything out and I feel better and safer." - Victim

"I liked the openness of everyone... Also the chance to discuss what happened." - Offender

"I feel better telling both of the victims the truth, and it will help me not to do any bad things later... - Offender

"I was told at the time of the incident not to contact (the victim). I wish now that I would have used my own judgment as he is a fair individual and not at all like I was told that he would be like." - Parent

"I came with a why not - I'll try anything - I thought that good could come of it - I think it did." - Victim

These statements tell the value of VOMP better than any statistic. What those of us who are involved are discovering is that positive results go far beyond restitution agreements. People are changing their opinions about each other. Fear and suspicion is replaced by acknowledgment of each other and recognition of each others' feelings. Offenders are meeting their victims face to face and are being responsible for their actions. There is a relief but also pride that they have done this on their own without a parent or lawyer speaking for them. Victims are invited into the justice system and have an opportunity to tell their story directly to the offender and receive payment for their losses. Parents see their children face responsibility. Volunteers have the opportunity to make their community a safer place.

Since September 1995 the Clackamas County Juvenile Department's Victim Offender Meeting Program has conducted numerous meetings with very positive results. A summary of some of those results are outlined below.

Volunteering

There are currently twelve volunteers from the community who help with the program by facilitating cases. People with mediation training and/or experience are encouraged to volunteer. They will be trained to do victim offender meetings.

For more information, contact Warren Oster at the Clackamas County Juvenile Department, (503) 655-8342 ext 7127 or email, warrenos@co.clackamas.or.us.