Victim-Offender Mediation

Mediation is Restorative

With issues like harassment, bullying, minor assault, or vandalism, mediation is often the best way to get to the heart of the matter and identify what is needed to repair the harms that occurred. Mediation offers participants a safe and facilitated environment in which they can address what occurred, express their feelings, and get answers to their questions.


As part of the mediation process, participants may:

  • Discuss their various roles in the conflict and how it has impacted them.
  • Understand what the victim needs to feel safe and “whole”.
  • Identify how each participant can take part in creating a satisfying solution.
  • Make a plan for restitution, if appropriate.
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“After listening to the other young man, I started to see him not as a cruel assailant, but as a young man heading to his job after school to help with his family's hardships”

JVO Mediation Participant

Adult Victim-Offender

We partner with Warrant Screening to provide courts with Adult Victim-Offender mediations. This partnership provides a more equitable outcome through mediations for the accused and alleged victim. Court case examples include assault, damages, disorderly, employment, neighbor conflicts, and theft.

Juvenile Victim-Offender

We partner with Juvenile Courts using a restorative justice model to provide Juvenile Victim-Offender mediations. These mediations empower juvenile defendants and their victims to prevent, manage, and give rise to their own solutions within and around conflict. Court case examples include domestic assault (family only), unruly/disorderly behavior, bullying,  hate crimes, robbery, harassment, vandalism, school/neighborhood fights, and truancy.

Metro Nashville PD

Our partnership with Metro Nashville Police Department provides mediations between police officers to allow for Conflict Dissolution. This allows for a safe place for Metro Police to discuss and work through conflict issues where they normally would not and explore possible solutions. Through these resolutions it provides a more stable working environment for Metro Police, allowing them to better serve the community.

Resources

Navigating your situation can seem intimidating. We've compiled resources to help.

We offer a sliding scale to make our mediation services available to those not directly referred to us by a Tennessee Court.



View Sliding Scale

If you are in need of legal advice, we suggest contacting the TN Alliance for Legal Services.



Contact TALS

FAQ

  • Can I request mediation for myself or do I have to be referred by a court?

    You do not need a referral for mediation -- you may request it yourself. However, we can only proceed with scheduling mediation when everyone involved agrees to participate. 

  • Will a mediator decide who is right and wrong?

    No, a mediator will not decide the facts of your case, or who is right and who is wrong, as a judge would. The mediator will honor what you say as truth, so we expect all parties to be honest.

  • Will a mediator force me to agree to something I do not want to agree to?

    No, participation in mediation is voluntary. The mediator is there as an unbiased, neutral party to help facilitate a conversation, and hopefully a resolution, between yourself and the other side in a safe and equitable way. If at any point during your mediation you decide you do not like where things are going, you have the option to end the mediation, as will the other side. 

  • If there is an active order of protection between myself and the other party, can we still participate in mediation?

    We cannot mediate between those with an active order of protection, unless mediation is cleared by the judge who ordered it. 

Contact Us

Ask additional questions, voice concerns, or inquire about mediation services.

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