Using the voice and experience of the victim of crime, youth can break with criminal thinking and develop empathic understanding of the injury caused. Reaching a child before he/she becomes entrenched in repeated negative behaviors and resultant incarnation, VORS works in partnership with the Justice System to help youth understand the impact of their behavior in order to make constructive choices toward a healthy lifestyle. The VORS program facilitates a face to face mediation between young offenders and their victims of crime, which can include a wide range of private citizens, such as homeowners, businesses, teachers, local governments, and other youth. In VORS mediations carried out by volunteer mediators (who have received over 40 hours of training), an agreement is reached in 98% of cases, and nearly 70% of the offenders fulfill their restitution agreements. A published study conducted by the California Judicial Courts concluded that 85% of youth offenders who participate in VORS related programs had not been re-arrested within one year. This was a 50% reduction compared to a control of youth.
Since inception of the program in the early 90s, VORS has facilitated restitution payments from youth of over $150,000 for personal property damage or loss; recorded 20,000 hours of community service and over 2,000 letters of apology and priceless psychological relief from youth offenders to their victims. When parents pay the restitution, an agreement is made between the youth and the parent so that the responsibility to make things right remains with the youth.
-In 2010 517 youth were diverted from the juvenile justice system to complete VORS mediation and make restitution to their victims.
