A Victim Youth Conference (VYC)

is one example of a Restorative Justice Practice.  A VYC is a dialogue between a youth, victim (or victim surrogate), family and other support persons who come together during a joint conference to discuss how the crime affected each of them. This allows the victim to express themselves to the youth, and the youth to understand the full impact of their decision. The VYC has three main priorities:

1. Youth involved with VYC will increase their awareness of wrong doing, their sense of acountability, and create reparations to the victim.
2. Victims invloved with VYC will increase their satisfaction and confidence with the justice system.
3. Evaluation completed externally by the UMN team to assess impacts on the juvenile, victim, and the community.

The mission of the Nebraska Office of Dispute Resolution is to enhance and to advance the use of mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in courts and communities by partnering with ODR-approved mediation centers and others involved with ADR.  The Supreme Court appoints the members of the Dispute Resolution Advisory Council which serves to oversee the activities of the Office

Mediation is available in all 93 counties of Nebraska and is a helpful problem solving process that empowers disputing parties to prioritize and express their wants and needs in order to arrive at a mutual agreement.  ODR partners with the six non-profit ODR-Approved Mediation Centers in Nebraska and the Douglas County District Court Conciliation and Mediation Office to serve Nebraska’s 93 counties. With the support of ODR and other state, local, and private funding the centers are able to provide a variety of services to the citizens of Nebraska.