NCJ Number
204305
Date Published
2003
Length
36 pages
Annotation
This document presents the accomplishments and challenges of the National Center for Victims of Crime for the 3-year period 2000 through 2002.
Abstract
The National Center for Victims (NCVC) of Crime espouses the concept of parallel justice, which holds offenders accountable for violating the law and charges them with accepting responsibility for helping victims rebuild their lives. This report is divided into six sections that examine victim services, public policy, training and technical assistance, civil justice, public education, and publications. The first section presents the intensified efforts to help victims of crimes during the past 3 years. Collaborations with the American Red Cross, the Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department, the American Automobile Association, and the National District Attorneys Association were forged to reach more victims of crime through awareness programs. Section 2 concerning public policy initiatives discusses securing rights, resources, and protections for victims of crime. The NCVC has focused on Federal legislation by educating the U.S. Congress about the pressing needs of crime victims. The NCVC played an integral role in shaping key legislation on cyberstalking and housing assistance for sexual assault and domestic violence victims. Other federally-focused activities include urging Congress to eliminate the cap on the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) fund and the establishment of a compensation program for the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Efforts of the NCVC at the State level are also briefly reviewed. The third section discusses the training and technical assistance opportunities offered by the National Center. In 2001, the National Center Training Institute was launched to bring quality training to victim service professionals. In 2000, the Stalking Resource Center was established by the NCVC to help communities develop multidisciplinary responses to stalking. Section 4 describes how the NCVC helps victims of crime seek civil justice. The focus on civil justice over the past 3 years has centered on assisting victims of domestic violence and training trail lawyers. The fifth section discusses the NCVC's efforts at raising public awareness during the past 3 years, which involved collaborations with MTV, the National Press Club, and Clear Channel Communications. The final section lists publications offered through the National Center for Victims of Crime.