General Information
Neighborhood Justice Center
Working together to solve problems
1310 Jefferson Street, Suite 200
Nashville, TN 37208
Phone: (615) 321-4114
Fax: (615) 321-0313
What is Mediation?
Mediation is a procedure in which two or more parties in a dispute voluntarily meet with a trained, neutral, third person who assists in the resolution of the dispute. A mediation can result in a binding agreement or no agreement may be reached.
Referral Process: Two-fold Path
- Court recommends mediation for misdemeanor or felony cases
- Community mediations brought by people who have disputes with neighbors, landlords, business or in the school
Mediation Training
A certified trainer conducts a minimum of 15 hours of training following an approved curriculum and training material. Training includes role-playing in simulated disputes. Candidates who complete the training are then placed with a case, where they practice mediation with a veteran mediator. The new mediator will then be assigned to cases.
Who are the mediators?
The Center will utilize volunteer mediators. Volunteer mediators come from all walks of life. They range from elementary school children to retired people. The selection process, conducted by personnel at the Center, relies on
- recommendations from neighborhood people, ministers and law enforcement personnel;
- reviewing of resumes, if available;
- conducting individual interviews.
People who have a sense of humor, are good listeners, care about others and are assertive but not aggressive, make the best interviewers.
History
Tying Nashville Together is the non-profit entity which will operate Nashville's initial Neighborhood Justice Center. The Neighborhood Justice Center serves as a location to mediate disputes, both those referred by the courts, as well as those in direct response to neighborhood residents.
The center has been developed in conjunction with several Metro agencies. The Center's location is 1310 Jefferson Street, Suite 200, and houses Metro Police officers, a juvenile probation officer and Center personnel.
Part of the Center's program fosters a positive relationship between law enforcement personnel assigned to the area, working in a collegial manner, with the people in the community.
The customers served are primarily the residents of the Jefferson Street neighborhood. They include ages from juvenile to adult. The Jefferson Street service area is bound on the west by 28th Avenue, the east by 8th Avenue, the south by Charlotte Avenue and the north by Metro Center Boulevard.
The Center serves the community as a forum to resolve disputes and as an impetus to creating understanding between the community and law enforcement personnel.
The long-term goals are to reduce the number of people going to court, the number of repeat disputes, the number of non-emergency police calls; to foster the sense of a community or village and to improve the perception of law enforcement and the justice system in the neighborhood. As an outcome of fulfilling these goals, the culture of the neighborhood may begin to change so that disputes can be settled through mediation acceptable to both parties.
This information was taken from a brochure produced and supplied by the Neighborhood Justice Center of Nashville.