By Rose Laudicina
Staff Writer
In 1978, due in part to support from the Orange County Board of Commissioners, the Dispute Settlement Center was founded and opened its doors in Carrboro.
Today, with additional support from the board of commissioners, the center won’t have to shut the doors on one of its major programs this fiscal year.
In its 2011-12 budget, the N.C. General Assembly eliminated funding statewide for mediation services in criminal district courts. This funding elimination resulted in a $60,227 loss for the Dispute Settlement Center (DSC).
With the loss of these funds, the center was forced to eliminate its court mediation program, which on average works with around 200 cases per year, with an 85 percent resolution rate for the cases mediated, and saves the court system both time and money.
“[The DSC] helps ease the burden on our court system,†Neil Offen, a member of the center’s board of directors, told the county commissioners. â€It relieves them of having to deal with sometimes messy and sometimes dangerous interpersonal conflict. The Dispute Settlement Center helps save the county and the courts money by taking on court loads.â€
In order to restore the program, the center approached the board of commissioners at their May 22 meeting to ask for the minimum amount of money needed to restart the program for 2012-13.
Past and present board members, staff and volunteers of the Dispute Settlement Center (DSC) expressed to the commissioners the importance of not only the DSC as a whole, but also that of the court mediation program.
“I know the value of the services that the Dispute Settlement Center provides,†said former Commissioner Moses Carey. “I urge you to find it within yourselves, … find it within the budget to support the request the Dispute Settlement Center has made.â€
The center asked the board for $60,000 to fund the court mediation program in addition to the $16,000 the DSC already receives through non-departmental funding from the county for support of non-court mediation.
“For 30 years we have been serving citizens in the Orange County criminal district court,†DSC director Frances Henderson said. “This [money] allows us to be back in court with teams of staff and volunteer mediators to help people reach resolutions.â€
The board was able to find additional money in discretionary funds to fully fund the center’s request, allowing the staff and volunteer mediators to get back into the courts and help mediate cases.
With the elimination of state funding for court mediation programs, Henderson said that the only money the center receives from the state is for juvenile services, although that funding has also been cut.
In order to operate the rest of their services, Henderson said the center relies on grants and volunteers.
“We have foundation grants and community contributions and more and more, we rely on them,†she said.