Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP)
The first VORP in the US began in 1978 in Elkhart, Indiana, under the auspices of the probation department. It was quickly restructured as a community based and community funded program. Howard Zehr is recognized as the principal developer and organizer of VORP in the US. From Elkhart, victim offender mediation has spread to all corners of the US and today there are over 200 US programs. A program began in Anderson County, TN in 1987, Cumberland County in 1989, Davidson County (Nashville), Knox County (Knoxville) and Putnam County in 1993, in Shelby County (Memphis) in 1994 and in Maury County in 1996. Other communities began expressing interest in knowing more about victim offender mediation and reconciliation.
Mediation Services/VORP
As Sumner Mediation Services we are able to provide additional services, including community education and mediation of cases that are not court-referred in order to further promote the process of peace-making and peace-keeping among families and other members of our community.