Police-Referred Mediation Pilot Project

Resolution Virginia’s proposed Police-referred Mediation Pilot Project will help Virginians in communities in and around Fairfax, Warrenton, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Lynchburg and Roanoke get easy access to justice and improve community safety.  Through the Police-referred Mediation Pilot Project, and a partnership with Virginia’s community mediation centers and law enforcement agencies, Virginians experiencing conflict will get access to trained community-based mediators, conciliators and restorative justice practitioners who can help them develop creative solutions to conflicts that could, if left unmanaged, become violent.  The project should help free police and court resources for situations that necessitate police involvement or the assistance of a judge.  It should also provide Virginians with a less adversarial, less formal and more empowering way to resolve conflicts.  The project will be evaluated by Virginia Tech’s Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention.