The VORP Process
Victim-offender
reconciliation is a
process through which a trained mediator, often a volunteer, brings
offenders and victims in a criminal event together to achieve a resolution that
is satisfactory to both parties.
Victim-offender
reconciliation seeks to…
…
identify crime that can be successfully dealt with in the community;
…
effect reconciliation and understanding between victims and offenders;
…
facilitate the reaching of agreements between victims and offenders
regarding restitution;
…
assist offenders in directing payment of their ‘debt to society’ to
their victims;
…
involve community members in work with problems that normally lead into
the criminal justice process.
VORP
provides victims with…
…
an opportunity to actively participate in the process of resolving the
incident.
…
a greatly increased chance of receiving restitution and reparation.
…
an opportunity to be more fully informed about the incident itself, about
the offender and about the criminal justice system and its processes;
…
an opportunity to resolve the incident in a peaceful way;
…
an opportunity to experience a sense of closure.
VORP
provides offenders with…
…
an opportunity to be aware of the harm suffered by victims, the human
cost and consequences;
…
an opportunity to ‘make it right’ with the victim, to acknowledge
responsibility, and to do whatever is reasonable and possible to make amends
…
an opportunity to take responsibility in a serious and honest way, often
without being left with a criminal record.
…
an opportunity to be more fully informed about what is happening and why,
about the criminal justice system and its processes, about the impact of his/her
actions on the victim(s) and the community, and about options for dealing with
charges faced;
…
an opportunity equal to that of the victim(s) to fully participate in
finding a fair and reasonable way to resolve the incident.
VORP
benefits the community by…
…
providing community members with an opportunity to develop skills which
empower them to resolve present and future conflicts;
…
giving community members opportunities
to practice their conflict resolution and mediation skills as mediators in
criminal and other community conflicts;
…
offering a cost-effective means
of resolving conflicts within the community;
…
increasing the likelihood of deterrence from further irresponsibility
through having offenders take direct, face-to-face responsibility for their
actions.
VORP
provides the criminal justice system with…
…
an alternative process for dealing with a significant number of cases
which would be unlikely to be resolved in a positive, meaningful way in the
courts;
…
a low-cost means of resolving a significant number of cases;
…
an effective alternative to the court process, helping to reduce crown
counsel caseloads and to address the issue of overcrowded court-rooms and
lengthy delays;
…
an effective way to increase community understanding of, and
participation in, the justice system;
…
a process that can reduce victim frustrations and anger that would
otherwise be projected onto the system itself.
Fraser
Region 
