To the editor:

I am writing in response to the Journal-World article dated July 29 entitled “Navajo experts on crime seek reconciliation, not retribution.”

I would like to inform your readers that an option exists for Douglas County crime victims and offenders that is very similar to the “Nalyeeh” described in that article. The Navajo people are not alone in seeking a better way for crime to be addressed. The Victim Offender Mediation program at Catholic Community Services also employs a process whereby crime victims and their family members sit and talk with offenders and their family members. The goals of the “Nalyeeh” of talking about what happened and finding ways to “achieve a positive outcome from a negative event” are also the goals of the Victim Offender Mediation program.

The idea of Victim Offender Mediation has been around since the mid-1970s when the first programs were developed in Elkhart, Indiana, and Kitchener, Ontario. Now, there are over 1,200 programs worldwide. These programs are all attempting to change the world’s response to crime. Instead of focusing on punishment, they work toward repair and healing for everyone. Here in Douglas County, the Victim Offender Mediation program accepts referrals from the court system, from youth or social services, or from victims or offenders themselves. Thank you for helping us spread the word.

Susan Mikesic, coordinator,

Victim Offender MediationProgram,

Catholic Community Services,

Lawrence