The report incorporates views from the field -- including crime victims, representatives from national victim advocacy and service organizations, criminal justice practitioners, allied professionals, and many others -- who provided the background materials and recommendations contained in this action plan. Five global challenges for responding to victims of crime in the 21st century form the core of the hundreds of ideas and recommendations presented in this report. The first challenge is to enact and enforce consistent, fundamental rights for crime victims in Federal, State, juvenile, military, and tribal justice systems, as well as administrative proceedings. The second challenge is to provide crime victims with access to comprehensive, quality services regardless of their victimization or demographics. A third challenge is to integrate crime victims' issues into all levels of the Nation's educational system to ensure that justice and allied professionals and other service providers receive comprehensive training on victims' issues as part of their academic education and continuing training in the field. The fourth challenge is to support, improve, and replicate promising practices in victims' rights and services built upon sound research, advanced technology, and multidisciplinary partnerships. The fifth challenge is to ensure that the voices of crime victims play a central role in the Nation's response to violence and those victimized by crime. The recommendations offer a starting point for discussion about how best to apply them within individual communities to meet local needs. Appended lists of contributors and publication staff
New Directions From the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the Twenty-First Century
NCJ Number
170600
Editor(s)
C Bash
Date Published
1997
Length
452 pages
Annotation
This is a comprehensive report and set of recommendations on crime victims' rights and services from and concerning virtually every community involved with crime victims across the Nation.
Abstract