Prisoner Facilitated Mediation: Bringing Peace to Prisons and Communities

Authors

Laurel Kaufer, Pepperdine University School of Law
Douglas E. Noll
Jessica Mayer, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law

Abstract

Prisons are too often places of conflict, violence, and fear. After spending years in such an environment Susan Russo and a group of like-minded inmates decided that they needed to take action. In 2007, Ms. Russo began sending over fifty handwritten letters to mediators throughout California, asking for assistance in setting up a conflict resolution program at the prison where she resided. Eventually, in 2009, one of her letters reached Laurel Kaufer, who, with her colleague Doug Noll, responded to Ms. Russo's request. Through their collaboration Prison of Peace ("POP") was born. POP employs an innovative method of prison conflict resolution known as prisoner facilitated mediation ("PFM"), in which inmates are trained as peacemakers and mediators, in order to help resolve conflicts within the prison. Prisoner facilitated mediation helps to reduce prison violence and teach foundational life skills to inmates.

Disciplines

Dispute Resolution and Arbitration | Law | Law Enforcement and Corrections

Recommended Citation

Laurel Kaufer, Douglas E. Noll & Jessica Mayer, Prisoner Facilitated Mediation: Bringing Peace to Prisons and Communities, 16 Cardozo J. Conflict Resol. 187 (2014).
Available at: https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/cjcr/vol16/iss1/8