Types of Mediation

The Attorney General’s Office provides mediation in the following areas:

• Civil Rights Mediation – Civil Rights Mediations are set up by the Civil Rights Division. This type of mediation covers four areas of discrimination: housing, employment, public accommodations and voting. Volunteer mediators help facilitate the discussion between both parties. This process helps save time and helps the parties resolve their differences without costly litigation and lengthy investigation.
• Truancy Mediation – Truancy Mediation services focus on utilizing the courts and the schools to find out why the student is missing classes and what can be done to correct the problem. As always, this process is confidential and looks at whether family problems, learning difficulties or other conflicts are contributing factors to the student’s truancy.
• Victim-Offender Mediation – Victim-Offender Mediation is usually set up by the courts and is facilitated by a well-trained community mediator who supervises a face-to-face meeting between an offender and his victim and victims' families. This form of mediation serves to answer victims’ questions about the crime and help offenders confront the human consequences of their crimes and see their victims as human beings rather than objects. In some cases, mediation may be a condition of parole or probation.
• State Agency Mediation – Various State agencies use the Attorney General’s mediation services to help disputing parties resolve conflict. Cases are often referred by State agencies when the agency wants disputing parties to resolve problems on their own. Each situation determines how the mediation program will be tailored.