ABSTRACT
This chapter examines new and innovative criminal justice system methods for addressing the needs of victims. Responses to victimization require more than just attention paid to the financial losses incurred by the immediate victim and his or her family. The chapter lists different types of services usually provided by victim-witness programs. It talks about the assumptions that underlie victim-witness service projects and provides evidence on the impact of dispute resolution. The chapter also provides a definition for restorative justice and discusses the advantages of restorative justice for victims, offenders, and the community. It also discusses the theory of reintegrative shaming and three major forms of restorative justice. The chapter explains the impact of restorative justice upon participant satisfaction, compliance, and recidivism. Victim–offender mediation (VOM), also referred to as victim–offender reconciliation programs (VORPs), is a direct outgrowth of the early dispute resolution/dispute mediation programs of the early 1970s and is considered the oldest form of restorative justice.
