1997 Minnesota Statutes

     611A.77 Mediation programs for crime victims and 
  offenders. 

    Subdivision 1.    Grants.  The state court administrator 
 shall award grants to nonprofit organizations to create or 
 expand mediation programs for crime victims and offenders.  For 
 purposes of this section, "offender" means an adult charged with 
 a nonviolent crime or a juvenile who has been referred to a 
 mediation program before or after a petition for delinquency has 
 been filed in connection with a nonviolent offense, and 
 "nonviolent crime" and "nonviolent offense" exclude any offense 
 in which the victim is a family or household member, as defined 
 in section 518B.01, subdivision 2. 

    Subd. 2.    Programs.  The state court administrator 
 shall award grants to further the following goals: 

    (1) to expand existing mediation programs for crime victims 
 and juvenile offenders to also include adult offenders; 

    (2) to initiate victim-offender mediation programs in areas 
 that have no victim-offender mediation programs; 

    (3) to expand the opportunities for crime victims to be 
 involved in the criminal justice process; 

    (4) to evaluate the effectiveness of victim-offender 
 mediation programs in reducing recidivism and encouraging the 
 payment of court-ordered restitution; and 

    (5) to evaluate the satisfaction of victims who participate 
 in the mediation programs. 

    Subd. 3.    Mediator qualifications.  The state court 
 administrator shall establish criteria to ensure that mediators 
 participating in the program are qualified. 

    Subd. 4.    Match required.  A nonprofit organization 
 may not receive a grant under this section unless the group has 
 raised a matching amount from other sources. 

    HIST: 1992 c 571 art 5 s 10; 1994 c 576 s 54