NCJ Number
185126
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 62 Issue: 4 Dated: July 2000 Pages: 140-142
Date Published
July 2000
Length
3 pages
Annotation
In 1998 the Association of State Correctional Administrators conducted a survey of 39 State correctional agencies and the Federal Bureau of Prisons regarding the current status of corrections-based victim services; findings have been instrumental in the development of sample policies to address gaps in the provision of corrections-based victim services.
Abstract
As a result of the national survey findings, the project developed 18 recommendations to enhance the provision of victim services by adult correctional agencies. One recommendation is that correctional agencies should review their overall agency mission statements to determine whether their commitment to crime victims and victim services is clear. Further, the two-thirds of Victim Service Units (VSUs) that do not have vision or mission statements should develop them to guide their policy and program implementation. Also, staffing for victim services should reflect the level of needs of victims of the offenders incarcerated and/or supervised by the agency, as well as the specific duties required to serve victims. Very few VSUs have staff who are proficient in languages other than English, victim outreach materials printed in languages other than English, or appropriate services for hearing-impaired victims. All correctional agencies should have victim advisory councils to provide input and guidance relevant to policies and programs for crime victims; and the small percentage of correctional agencies that have policies and procedures to implement the core victims' rights of protection, victim input, and information/referral indicates a need for policy development in these areas. All 18 of the recommendations based on the survey findings are presented in this article.