The Handbook of Victim Offender Mediation - by Mark S Umbreit (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Written by Mark Umbreit, internationally known for his work in restorative justice, this indispensable resource offers an empirically grounded, state-of-the-art analysis of the application and impact of victim offender mediation, a movement that has spread throughout North America and abroad. The Handbook of Victim Offender Mediation provides practical guidance and resources for offering victim meditation in property crimes, in minor assaults, and, more recently, with crimes of severe violence, including with family members of murder victims who request to meet the offender.

From the Back Cover

When it was first introduced, the restorative justice movement was met with widespread resistance and skepticism. Now, more than twenty-five years later, the movement has flourished and continues to make great strides in reforming the traditional justice system. Today, the restorative justice movement is endorsed by many former skeptics. There are 1,300 victim offender mediation programs thriving throughout North America and Europe, and this form of mediation is now endorsed by the American Bar Association.
The Handbook of Victim Offender Mediation is the first resource to provide a conceptual-and-research based framework and a practical process for mediating a wide-variety of criminal conflicts between victims of crime and their offenders. Written by a pioneer in the field, Mark Umbreit-the founding director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Restorative Justice & Peacemaking and the National Restorative Justice Training Institute-this essential resource is based on the empirically grounded principles of restorative justice through victim offender mediation, and it explains how to put in place and apply this highly effective process.
Step-by-step, this comprehensive handbook clearly defines how the process works, shows how to identify appropriate victim and offender participants, and reveals what it takes to prepare both sides for the upcoming meeting, which is facilitated through a humanistic dialogue- driven form of mediation. The Handbook of Victim Offender Mediation also shows how to establish a safe place for dialogue and outlines the most efficient methods for conducting an effective, sensitive, and often emotion- laden victim offender mediation. In addition, the author provides practical information for developing ongoing programs and instructions for training mediators, establishing case referral criteria, executing case management procedures, and developing strategies for obtaining referrals from courts and probation officers.
This indispensable resource also contains reports on the first large national survey of victim offender mediation programs and multisite studies conducted by the author in Canada, England, and the United States. It provides a wealth of information that can be helpful for initiating a victim mediation program or strengthening an existing program.
While tempered with a cautionary note to the potential hazards that could threaten the restorative justice practice, The Handbook of Victim Offender Mediation offers a clear vision of the boundless promise that restorative justice holds for our nation and the global community.
The Author
Mark S. Umbreit, Ph.D., is the founding director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Restorative Justice & Peacemaking and the National Restorative Justice Training Institute. He is a professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Minnesota.

Review Quotes

"This book-by a peerless practitioner, proponent, and scholar ofvictim offAnder mediation-is filled with crucial information, knowledge, insights, and inspiration for lawyers, judges, mediators, social workers, and anyone else who cares about criminaljustice and the possibilities of healing people and communities."(Leonard L. Riskin, C.Leedy Professor of Law & director, Centerfor the Study of Dispute Resolution, University ofMissouri-Columbia)

"Makes a significant contribution to the growing body of work inthe development of nonsettlement-driven approaches to mediationpractice. It clarifies what humanistic conflict intervention canachieve in the victim offAnder arena at this critical juncture inthe field." (Joseph P. Folger, cofounder, Institute for the Studyof Conflict Transformation, and professor, Temple University)

"This is a must-read for any criminal justice professional orvolunteer who is serious about bringing victims and offAnderstogether to continue their journey of recovery. Where else can youget both a theoretical framework and a down-to-earth guide that issteeped in the roots of real lives?" (Mark Carey, deputycommissioner, Minnesota Department of Corrections)

"Captures not only the heart and soul of restorative justice, butalso the value of victim offAnder mediation in helping victims andoffAnders and holding offAnders accountable to the individuals andcommunities they have harmed. The combination of theory, practice, and case studies combines to provide a timely and critical overviewof victim offender mediation as a key tenet and practicalapplication of restorative justice. It is, indeed, essentialreading for any professional or volunteer who seeks to promoteindividual and community safety and justice through restorativemeasures." (Anne Seymour, victim advocate, Justice Solutions, Washington, D.C.)

"Brilliant! Mark Umbreit and his colleagues have written acomprehensive, practical, and inspirational book that weaves a richand varied tapestry depicting the principles, research, andpractice of restorative justice. Beyond its remarkable contributionto the literature on restorative justice, this book is essentialreading for those who want to learn more about the vitalrelationship among theory, research, and practice. (Michael Lang, professor and Special Advisor for Program and Faculty Development, Royal Roads University, Victoria, British Columbia, and editor, Mediation Quarterly)

"..offers a practical state-of-the-art perspective onVOM...concludes with useful information on training materials, directories and profiles of programmes..."(Newsletter of theEuropean Forum for Victim Mediation and Restorative Justice)

About the Author

MARK S. UMBREIT is the founding director of the University ofMinnesota's Center for Restorative Justice & Peacemaking andthe National Restorative Justice Training Institute. He is aprofessor in the School of Social Work at the University ofMinnesota.