Mediation between victims and offenders is available through the Department’s Victim-offender Mediation Unit (VMU).
The Department also maintains a Victim Notification Register (which is part of VMU), providing information for victims of crime. Other victim support services are offered by the Department of the Attorney General.
Victim-offender Mediation Unit
The Victim-offender Mediation Unit provides a mediation service between victims and offenders and is part of the Department’s Community and Youth Justice division.
This service is available to both adults and young people who have offended and the respective victims of their offences.
All victim-offender mediation is entered into voluntarily by both parties. The mediation is free, impartial and private. Three types are offered:
• Reparative mediation
This is a court referred process whereby a victim of an offence may meet with the offender to discuss any questions, issues or concerns arising from the offence as well as forms of compensation and reparation.
The outcomes of reparative mediation may be taken into account by the court upon sentencing.
• Protective conditions process
Victims are given the opportunity to request protective conditions to be imposed on the offender’s supervised order. These protective conditions may be endorsed by the relevant releasing/supervising authorities.
Victims and offenders of more serious offences, particularly those who are expected to be in contact, reach an agreement about the level and nature of contact (if any) between them.
Any protective conditions imposed by the relevant authorities on an offender’s supervised order in relation to their victim/s will be monitored by the Victim-offender Mediation Unit in conjunction with the supervising community corrections officer for the length of the relevant order.
• Victim-offender dialogue
A victim meets the offender on a one-off basis to discuss the impact of the offence.
Victim-offender dialogue will only occur at the victim’s (and, if applicable the victim’s caregiver or guardian) request and with the offender’s consent. Victim-offender dialogue
Victim services
• Victim-offender Contact Policy
Offenders on parole or community-based orders (with a supervision component attached) are not permitted to contact their victim(s) under the Department’s victim/
offender contact policy, until investigated by the Victim-offender Mediation Unit. This applies even if the offender is related to the victim.
Court-based officers located in outer metropolitan or regional areas can provide both protective and reparative mediation, however all protective queries must be directed to the Perth office.
Information available Brochures
• Making peace: Information for victims
• Making peace: Information for offenders
• Mediation: Information for victims
• Mediation: Information for offenders
• Protective conditions: General information
• Protective conditions: Information for victims
• Protective conditions: Information for offenders
• Victim Notification Register
Contact:
Victim-offender Mediation Unit Level 13, International House 26 St Georges Terrace PERTH WA 6000
Phone: 9425 3200 Fax: 9425 3222 Email: vmu@correctiveservices.wa.gov.au
Victim-offender Mediation Unit office locations Fremantle Justice Complex
8 Holdsworth Street FREMANTLE WA 6160 Mailing address: PO Box 665 FREMANTLE WA 6959
Phone: 9335 2084 Fax: 9335 9466 Joondalup Court House 21 Reid Promenade JOONDALUP WA 6027
Phone: 9400 0746 Fax: 9300 2005
*North-East Metropolitan Community Corrections Unit 1, 3-7 The Crescent MIDLAND WA 6056
Phone: 9250 5146 Fax: 9250 1586
Rockingham ACC Rockingham Justice Complex 15B Whitfield Street ROCKINGHAM 6168
Phone: 9527 3411 Fax: 9527 4833 Mandurah ACC
272 Pinjarra Road MANDURAH WA 6210
Phone: 9581 0800 Fax: 9586 1686 Metropolitan
Regional
Broome Community and Youth Justice
Cnr Frederick and Weld Streets BROOME WA 6725
Phone: 9158 3800 Fax: 9193 5750 Bunbury Community and Youth Justice
65 Wittenoom Street BUNBURY WA 6230
Phone: 9791 0186 Fax: 9791 1404
*Geraldton Community
Phone: 9021 0279 Fax: 9021 2005
*Kununurra Community and Youth Justice
Unit 17, 1722 Konkerberry Drive and Messmate Way
KUNUNURRA WA 6743 Phone: 9168 3148 Fax: 9169 1145 Freecall: 1800 247 023
Pilbara – South Hedland Justice Complex
Hawke Place
Victim services
Victim Notification Register
The Victim Notification Register is an information service for victims of crime. It allows victims to receive information about the perpetrator of the crime against them, for as long as that person is under the supervision of the Department of Corrective Services for that offence.
Information available from the register may include details about the offender’s sentence, any escapes from custody and recapture, impending release dates and the results of any appeals against the sentence. Victims are notified in writing of any changes to the circumstances of the offender, usually within five days of that change occurring.
Eligibility
Individuals can only join the Victim Notification Register if they are the victim and if the defendant or offender has been charged or convicted of the offence and is under the supervision of the Western Australian Department of Corrective Services.
The victim is the only person able to receive information from the register, however they can nominate another person (as an agent) to receive the information on their behalf – this is explained in greater detail on the register application form.
There is no time limit on offences. You can join the register even if the crime against you was committed some time ago, as long as the offender is still serving their sentence.
However, if the offender completes their sentence for the offence against you and reoffends, you are not entitled to receive information relating to their new sentence.
You are not eligible to go on the register if you are:
• a witness or bystander to a crime
• a member of the family but not the victim of the offence (except in cases where the offence resulted in death)
• an unrelated individual interested in following the progress of an offender
• a community representative or group
• not directly involved in the offence.
You can apply to be on the Victim Notification Register by completing a registration form and posting it to the address shown. Registration forms are available online at www.correctiveservices.wa.gov.au, from the Registrar on 9425 2870 or freecall 1800 818 988 (country WA only), or from your local Victim Support Service office, Victim-offender Mediation Unit office or courthouse.
Information available Brochure
• Registration for Victim Notification Register
Contact:
Victim Notification Register Level 2 District Court, 500 Hay Street PERTH WA 6000
Phone: 9425 2870 Fax: 9425 2869
Freecall: 1800 818 988 (outside metro only)