National survey of victim‐offender mediation programs in the United States

Abstract An extensive survey of victim‐offender mediation programs in the United States was initiated by the Center for Restorative Justice and Mediation, University of Minnesota, School of Social Work, in 1996. Far more programs were found, at various stages of development, than had previously been identified (Hughes and Schneider, 1989; Umbreit, 1994, 1995a; Umbreit and Niemeyer, 1996). This article first briefly reviews the international growth of the victim‐offender mediation field. It then reports on the quantitative findings that emerged from the national survey of programs in the United States and on a number of themes that emerged from open‐ended questions and conversations with the staff from the 116 programs (out of a total of 289 programs identified) that participated in an interview.