National Workshop on Services to Crime Victims - Report of the Proceedings, March 23-25, 1980

• NCJ Number: 80581
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 40 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Canada Solicitor General
• Corporate Author: Richard Weiler and Associates Ltd
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; Canada Solicitor General
• Language: English
• Country: Canada
• Note: Available in English and French versions - Workshop held in Ottawa.

Annotation

The March 1980 national workshop on crime victim services, sponsored by the Ministry of the Solicitor General of Canada, is summarized.

Abstract

Workshop participants consisted of a cross-section of those in Canada responsible for developing policies and programs involving services to crime victims, including representatives from police forces, volunteer groups, and Federal and Provincial government organizations. They participated in discussions with experts from the criminal justice and social service fields in Canada and the United States. The discussions focused on (1) recent American experience in the development of victim services, (2) the existing crime victim services in Canada and the gaps in those services, and (3) the opportunities for new services and the further development of existing victim services and strategies. After opening remarks by the Deputy Solicitor General of Canada, the workshop focused on recent American experience in the development of victim and witness services. The National Victim/Witness Program, an important project of LEAA, was described. This was followed by detailed discussions of the largest local American initiative, the Victim Services Agency in New York City and the Pima County Victim Services Program (Arizona), one of the most successful and mature projects. The programs are outlined, the issues raised by their operations are described, and the implications of these issues for Canada are examined. Existing representative Canadian victim service programs were discussed, along with models for potential future services. Canadian programs are generally initiated by criminal justice agencies, with dependence on voluntary support. Nonfinancial and financial services are examined, as well as services oriented toward domestic violence. The presentation concludes with a summary of the workshop issues through an examination of existing and potential victim services in Canada. Appended are a listing of background materials and the workshop agenda.