Handbook of Victim Offender Mediation

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.

"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)

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.