The DeKalb County/NIU College of Law Juvenile Mediation Project, designed to allow juveniles who commit less serious crimes to go through mediation rather than prosecution, is putting out a call for more volunteer mediators.

The project gives the state’s attorney the authority to set up the project as the alternative to bringing a juvenile to court, said Kim Shefts, a third-year law school student and mediation spokesperson for the project.

Lawrence Schlam, NIU professor of law and the director of the project, said he proposed the project about four years ago to State’s Attorney Ronald Matekaitis.

The DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office was supportive of the idea and helped the NIU College of Law establish it in December 2001, said Assistant State’s Attorney Ellen Pauling.

Shefts said 25 cases were mediated in 2002, and nine have been mediated so far this year.

To qualify for mediation, an offender must be under 17 years of age, reside in DeKalb County, have committed either a felony or misdemeanor not involving bodily harm, have no prior felony convictions and admit involvement in the offense, Shefts said.

“We want to give juveniles who have committed less serious crimes an opportunity to be rehabilitated,” Shefts said. “The idea is to give the child back to the community and have the community handle the child.”

Pauling said a victim does not have to agree for an offender to go through mediation, but so far, no one has disagreed.

“Victims came away from the mediation feeling good. It accomplishes more than going before a judge,” Schlam said. “Now, with mediation, victims get to participate and say their peace.”

Shefts said the results of the mediations are different for every case, but monetary restitution, a written apology, community service, counseling, and/or writing reports about anger and conflict management are often part of the mediation agreements.

The provisions that come with the agreement are that the juvenile must attend school during the mediation process and cannot be arrested for any new offenses during the process.

Shefts also said each panel has three members.

These volunteers are people from DeKalb County who have filled out an application, gone through a criminal background check, and worked with juveniles in other areas of life.

The volunteers also have to complete a one-day training course and observe one or two mediation sessions before participating in the project. They are asked to participate in the project for one year.

“We have the cases; we need more community volunteers,” Shefts said.

The next training session is March 8 at the Sycamore Legislative Center, located at 200 N. Main St. in Sycamore.

Those interested in participating should call the state’s attorney’s office at 895-7164.