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Victim Offender Dialogue (VOD): how to request one and what to expect from CDCR

• 2 min read • cdcr.ca.gov
Victim Offender Dialogue (VOD): how to request one and what to expect from CDCR

To request a Victim Offender Dialogue (VOD) through CDCR, contact the Office of Victim and Survivor Rights and Services (OVSRS). Call 1-877-256-6877 or email OVSRS_VOD@cdcr.ca.gov. That first contact opens the door to the formal VOD intake process.

VOD only begins when the victim - or surviving family members - requests it. You'll complete a formal intake with the OVSRS VOD Program Coordinator, which officially opens your case.

Here's how it works. First, you complete the formal intake with OVSRS and the VOD Program Coordinator. Then OVSRS contacts the prison where the offender is housed to run an initial security screening - this determines whether the offender is eligible to participate.

VOD is voluntary and doesn't move forward automatically. Before a trained facilitator is assigned, the case needs tentative approval from both the institution (through the Warden or Superintendent) and OVSRS.

Survivors choose VOD for specific reasons. It gives you a structured, facilitated space to explain how the crime impacted your life, ask questions only the offender can answer, and play a direct role in how they're held accountable.

Once a case clears screening and gets tentative approval, CDCR assigns a trained facilitator. In California, approved community-based organizations - like Mend Collaborative - can also facilitate dialogues in correctional facilities and provide survivor support.

Note: You don't have to go through this alone. CDCR assigns approved cases to a trained facilitator, and community partners like Mend Collaborative may also help facilitate VODs and support you through the process.

No. Participating in VOD does not change the offender’s release date, classification score, or status.

Victim Offender Dialogue (VOD): how to request one and what to expect from CDCR

Some survivors also work with community-based facilitators outside CDCR's process. Organizations like Mend Collaborative facilitate VODs in California correctional facilities and offer survivor support - helpful if you want extra preparation and care around the dialogue.

  • ✓ Help facilitate Victim Offender Dialogues (VODs) in California correctional facilities
  • ✓ Prepare and support survivors participating in in-prison restorative justice programs
  • ✓ Provide survivor support alongside the VOD process

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