NCJ Number
223150
Date Published
2007
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This chapter reviews changes in the British Government's priorities accorded to various facets of crime-victim services over the past 40 years.
Abstract
The review focuses on the British Government's attention to the following aspects of victims services: personal support for crime victims immediately after the crime and during case processing; financial compensation for victims or surviving family members; information about the way the police are dealing with the case or the way the suspect/defendant/offender is being processed; and involvement in decisions about how the perpetrator is dealt with by the criminal justice system. Another issue addressed in this review pertains to the roles of various agencies, particularly the balance between the public sector and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in providing victim services. In all of the areas of victim services considered, work for victims initiated by NGOs at the forefront of the victims movement have been assumed increasingly by public-sector agencies, including the police, court services, and probation agencies. Little is known, however, about how the working practices of these agencies have changed over time, or whether they have resulted in improved services for crime victims. Evaluation research and monitoring reports on victim services by public agencies have been sparse, which makes critical external scrutiny of victim services difficult. 7 notes and 82 references