NCJ Number
131896
Date Published
1991
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This article reviews the content and implementation of Dutch policy pertinent to crime victim services and offers suggestions for improvement.
Abstract
The Dutch Ministry of Justice's introduction of guidelines for crime-victim services in 1986 and 1987 aimed at improving victim services. The guidelines specify duties for police and public prosecutors regarding victim treatment. The guidelines pertain to victim access to case information, compensation, and restitution. Specifications for the optimal procedure or organization for implementing the guidelines are not included in the guidelines themselves. Each organization is free to implement the guidelines within the existing structure as it sees fit. Consequently, the degree to which the guidelines are implemented varies among police agencies and prosecutors' offices. The structures for victim services are further complicated by the dependency of police and prosecutors on one another in order to implement the guidelines. Surveys of victims indicate that where services are effectively provided, victims benefit from them. Victim satisfaction varies, however, in accordance with the level and range of services provided. Research pertinent to the development of guidelines for the organization of victim services should help improve such services. A 31-item bibliography