Easing the Burden: Mediating Misdemeanor Criminal Matters

Abstract

Overburdened courts are causing critical breakdowns in the criminal justice system. To remedy this problem, some jurisdictions are developing creative programs to ease the burden on courts. This paper, published in the Dispute Resolution Journal, discusses mediation programs in which courts divert criminal cases away from traditional prosecution and allow a victim-offender mediation to occur as an alternative to trials for alleged criminal acts.