The state budget cuts will have many unintended consequences, but I’d like to alert the community to one that may be under the radar.
State funding for the Dispute Settlement Center, which for 33 years has provided mediation for clients in district court, has been eliminated. Statewide, community mediation centers using volunteers served 25,000 people in 80 counties on an allocation of $1.3 million. Court time was saved and relationships were often salvaged or improved.
Our criminal district court system struggles to handle growing caseloads with chronic and now worsened underfunding. Without mediators, the workload will increase and citizens may spend even more time in court.
Mediation began in North Carolina at the Dispute Settlement Center in Orange County in 1978. We have a proud history of helping individuals and groups solve conflicts and training young people to have better skills in approaching conflict.
We are open for business, and continue to help coworkers, neighbors, small-business owners, contractors and family members find common ground. With the community’s help, we will continue to try to provide services to all.
Frances Henderson
Executive Director, Dispute Settlement Center
Carrboro