NCJ Number
144299
Journal
Criminal Justice Quarterly Issue: 3 Dated: (1993) Pages: 8-10
Date Published
1993
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The New Zealand Victims Task Force submitted a final report to the Minster of Justice, containing 102 recommendations based on a process involving 5 years of viewing the system from the perspective of the victim.
Abstract
In this report, the criminal justice system is described from police arriving to final sentence, including the attendant issues of insurance, compensation, and health care. The victim is the initiator of this process through his detection and reporting of the crime. The report maintains that, despite its responsibility to maintain community values, the criminal justice system is currently an institution that is culturally inappropriate for nearly every victim that enters it. The system should aim to restore the victim to a new equilibrium and to balance the rights of the victim and the state. Five issues of importance to the victim, which are described as services, are identified in this report, including protection, support, information, participation, and compensation. Some new directions which may lead to improvement of the criminal justice system include crime prevention, mediation and restorative justice, and advocacy.