Quality of Justice - Victims in the Criminal Justice System (From Victimization of the Weak - Contemporary Social Reactions, P 117-135, 1982, Jacqueline Scherer and Gary Shepherd, eds. - See NCJ-90231)

• NCJ Number: 90234
• Author(s): E J McCabe
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 19 pages
• Sale Source: Charles C. Thomas
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article explains how the criminal justice system works and how victims participate in the system, noting the handicaps victims face within the the system.

Abstract

Relatively few victims become involved with the criminal justice system. During the investigation stage, the victim's primary responsibility is to answer questions. Police are less likely to make an arrest if the victim and offender are related or if police perceive that the victim is responsible for the crime. Usually the victim is not involved in decisions to prosecute, selections of charges, or plea bargaining, but the victim's willingness to cooperate appears to influence the prosecutor significantly. During trials, victims often feel that they are on trial. Victims rarely influence judicial sentencing decisions. This lack of involvement may be to a victim's advantage. Increasing victim participation in the justice system may not be beneficial. System demands and victim needs may remain fundamentally incompatible for some time to come. A victim survey indicates that the most commonly experienced problems among victims were loss of time and income. Another study indicates that victims were generally satisfied with the performance of the criminal justice system. A flow chart and 17 references are included.