Source: (1993) Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice. 9(2): 117-133
Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) is
a special mode of conflict resolution between victims and
offenders. It has appeals to both parties. Face-to-face
encounter is the essence of the VORP process. Mediation
and reconci-liation make offenders accountable and responsible
for their criminal acts and also committed to
recompense their victims’ damages. In turn, the process
is expected to reduce reoffending among the participating
offenders. This study compares the impact of a VORP for
juveniles and adults in Elkhart County, Indiana. This
post-adjudication restitution program is operated by the
Center for Community Justice – a private agency. Data
were collected on the participating offenders from July,
1989 to June, 1990 (fiscal year of the Center); then, they
were followed through the end of June, 1992 (2 year
follow-up) for recidivism reports. In this study, the
’impact’ of the VORP was measured in terms of offender
compliance with restitution contracts and offender recidivism.
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