Mediation

The Department of Corrective Services offers mediation between victims and offenders through the Victim-offender Mediation Unit (VMU).

The VMU provides services to victims of crime where:

• an offender has been convicted and the court orders mediation or a pre-sentence report, or
• an offender is being considered for release and the victim is known to the offender.

The mediation is free, impartial and private and offers:

• reparative mediation, where a victim of a non-violent offence meets with the offender to discuss forms of compensation.
• protective conditions, where victims and offenders of more serious offences who are expected to be in contact, reach an agreement about the level and nature of any contact (if any) between them.
• victim-offender dialogue, where a victim wishes to meet the offender to discuss the impact of the offence. Victim-offender dialogue will only occur at the victim's request, and with the offender's consent.

In any event, offenders on parole or community-based orders are not permitted contact with their victim(s) under the Department of Corrective Services' victim/offender contact policy, unless that contact is approved by the Victim-offender Mediation Unit. The policy applies even if the offender is related to the victim.

If you receive unwanted contact from the offender while he or she is in prison you should report it to the VMU to enable the prevention of such contact.

More information on victim-offender mediation is available on the Department of Corrective Services website.

Contact details

Victim-offender Mediation Unit
Department of Corrective Services
Level 13, 26 St Georges Terrace
PERTH WA 6000
Phone: (08) 9425 3200
Fax: (08) 9425 3222

Last updated: 18-Feb-2013

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