NCJ Number
120345
Date Published
1989
Length
177 pages
Annotation
This packet of materials provided by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) presents guidelines for developing a program for victims of drunk driving and supplies pamphlets to guide various victims of drunk driving in dealing with their trauma.
Abstract
MADD's Victim Assistance Program is designed to provide and coordinate all services and resources that can aid drunk driving victims. Guidelines for establishing such a program locally cover how to start the program, victim advocate recruitment and training, victim support, referrals to mental health counselors and civil attorneys, and victim advocacy in the criminal justice system. The manual provides samples of victim impact statements, tips for testifying in court, and suggestions for funding a victim assistance program. Victim legislation and additional MADD programs are also discussed. Another booklet discusses the use of victim impact panels as adjuncts for sentencing in drunk driving cases. This involves having a panel of three or four victims of drunk drivers speak briefly about the drunk driving crashes in which they were injured or in which a loved one was killed. Offenders listen to the panel as part of their sentences. A booklet provides instruction in the planning and program for a MADD candlelight vigil, which is designed to remember drunk-driving victims and support their families. A State-by-State description of victim compensation programs is provided. A series of pamphlets, provided in both English and Spanish, instruct victims and their families in how to cope with the suffering occasioned by a drunk driving crash.