EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Mediation in Law Enforcement in the Neighbourhood

Mediation in Law Enforcement in the Neighbourhood

Introduction

Since 1997, the Ministry of Justice has opened Law Enforcement in the Neighbourhood (JIB) offices in a number of neighbourhoods and districts. A study was conducted into characteristics of various modes of mediation within the JIBs.

Description

Since 1997, so-called JIBs were set up in various court districts in the Netherlands. Initially it concerned four experiments with a new neighbourhood-orientated judicial working method. By now there are 27 JIBs active in the Netherlands. Some of them work at city level (city offices) and some work at district level (district offices). As part of this evaluation study, a report was prepared on an effect evaluation using population research within the working areas of the JIBs and on a product and process evaluation.

Conclusions

Eleven of the JIB offices work with mediation methods. The cooperation with other organisations is sometimes easier at the level of the district.
Sometimes legal proceedings can be avoided, to the satisfaction of both the suspect and the aggrieved party through mediation. This has been known for some time in cases of compensation, but this could also work well with other types of cases. Roughly speaking, the JIB –mediation practice complements the national standpoint of the Public Prosecution Service regarding the use of mediation.
Mediation is used in about half the cases before criminal proceedings and in about half the cases after criminal proceedings. The percentage of successful mediations appears to vary somewhat per JIB; comparing the success scores with each other was difficult as the numbers were small and the registration of cases left something to be desired.
Mediation is well in keeping with the cooperation objective of JIB, as mediation often involves co-production with other partners in the cycle of criminal law.
In cases where a JIB can settle cases itself, mediation is easier, but this does not shorten the procedure. Support within the public prosecutor’s office for mediation appears crucial for the success of a JIB-mediation practice.

Contact info

DSP Group
Gert-Jan Slump, tel. +31 20 6257537

Publication date

24/02/2004

Researcher

Gert-Jan Slump

Links

DSP Group

Quick scan of mediation in Law Enforcement in the Neighbourhood (PDF, Dutch, 1MB)

Document type

research

Themes

Urban Policy > Security & crime prevention > Tackling crime

Keywords

Enforcement & civil intervention