The Mediation Service and Restorative Justice for Juveniles in Contact with the Law - For Cases Referred by the Police

This manual is published in the framework of the project “Institutionalization of Restorative Justice and Victim-Offender Mediation for Juveniles in Albania”, funded by EU Delegation and implemented by Save the Children in partnership with the Albanian Foundation for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation of Disputes”.

The manual was developed in cooperation with the General Directorate of State Police.

The manual is a document that addresses issues related to alternative forms of criminal case resolution, through restorative justice, particularly through victim-offender mediation. These forms should be applied in those cases, when alternative forms that give way to rehabilitation, social peace, and are more appropriate than traditional punitive justice. Restorative justice offers many advantages for the offender, the victim and community.

Diversion from the normal criminal procedure is the way to provide for the usage of alternative approaches. The manual contains guidelines on the diversion procedure from the police to mediation programs.