With roots dating to the early 1970's in the Midwest, victim-offender mediation and reconciliation programs now exist in more than 100 jurisdictions in the United States. The mediation process begins when offenders, most often those convicted of nonviolent property offenses, are referred by the court. Each case is assigned to either a staff or volunteer mediator, who meets with the offender and victim separately before the mediation session is scheduled. The mediator encourages participation in the program but does not use manipulative nor coercive tactics. If both parties are willing, the mediator schedules a face-to-face meeting. The mediator first explains the nature and agenda of the mediation sessions as well as the ground rules. The first part of the meeting focuses on a discussion of the facts and feelings related to the crime. In the second part of the meeting, the participants discuss what the victim "lost" as a result of the crime and negotiate a mutually acceptable restitution agreement. In more than 95 percent of the cases in many programs, a written restitution agreement is negotiated and signed at the end of the meeting. Program evaluations in Minnesota and Indiana indicate that both victims and offenders benefit from this humanizing experience with the justice system. 10 references