This comparative study examined juvenile court case records to compare rates of re-offense between 799 mediated juvenile cases and 1,045 non-mediated juvenile cases. The results of the study found that mediated cases took an average of 46.7 days to process while non-mediated cases took an average of 150 to process. Juveniles who participated in mediation had a similar rate of recidivism to those who didn’t. The study found that the juveniles who mediated were more likely to re-offend when they either did not reach agreement in mediation or did not complete the agreement reached.
Description of Study: Study comparing rates of re-offense between juveniles whose cases were mediated and juveniles whose cases were not mediated.
Method: Compared all juveniles whose cases were mediated between April 1993 and June 1996 to a matched sample of juveniles whose cases were handled by traditional methods between 1990 and 1992. Examined juvenile court case records to determine whether the juveniles returned to Cobb County Juvenile Court within a specified period of time. Mediated cases were followed through June 1997 and non-mediated cases through December 1994. Court records also examined time from filing to disposition.
Comparative: Yes
Comparison Groups: Those who participated in mediation and those whose cases were handled by traditional methods prior to the beginning of the mediation program
Sample Size: 799 juveniles whose cases were mediated and 1,045 non-mediated cases.
Variables Examined: Recidivism rate, processing time, factors affecting recidivism.
Program Variables: Program selected appropriate cases to mediation. These were generally first-time misdemeanors and status cases. Either party could opt out.
Findings: On average, the mediated cases took 46.7 days to process, while the non-mediated cases took on average 150 days. 34% (273) of juveniles who participated in mediation had court contact during the follow-up period. Juveniles who did not mediate had a similar recidivism rate – 36.7% (384). Mediation group juveniles most likely to re-offend were those who did not complete the agreement reached in mediation or who did not reach agreement in mediation. There is some evidence that mediators with more than 10 mediations had better success in terms of the juvenile not re-offending. The re-offense rate when the mediator had conducted fewer than 10 mediations was 41%, as compared to 33% for mediators with more than 10 mediations.