Community Mediation helps reduce reliance on confinement in juvenile crimes

Recent reports by the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth highlight Tennessee’s success as the best in the nation in reducing reliance on confinement as a response to juvenile crime, a press release said.

Community Mediation Centers throughout Tennessee have been a quiet part of this, the release said. The first program in the state, Community Mediation Services of Anderson County, has for 27 years been working with juveniles and families to help them find their own solutions to their issues through mediation.

Studies have shown that the CMS Anderson Country Victim Offender Reconciliation Program, started in 1986, is extremely effective in preventing re-offending and completion of restitution, the press release said. The Teen/Parent Mediation Program helps at-risk-youth and their families develop positive communication and problem-solving skills to address current and future problems. The Access/Visitation Program assists never-married parents or other involved relatives work out a suitable visitation agreement to creating a more harmonious atmosphere for their children. The positive impacts of CMS of Anderson County and its three programs have been honored by the Tennessee House of Representatives (in May 2011).

The press release said well-trained community volunteer mediators facilitate each of the three programs. All meditations are free to participants, who are referred by Juvenile Court, by schools, and through self-referrals. Community support is vital to our work of helping at-risk youth and families.

The release said the community can help with tax-deductible donations to CMS or by playing golf in the annual Big Ed’s Memorial Golf Tournament. It will benefit CMS, and it’s being held April 26th at the Oak Ridge Country Club. For more information, call (865) 463-6888 or send an e-mail to info@cms-tn.org.