Title: National Crime Victims' Rights Week: Reach for the Stars
Series: File Conversion
Author: Office for Victims of Crime
Published: April 2001
Subject: victims' rights, victim services
103 pages
196,293 bytes

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Crime Resource Center at 800-627-6872.

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U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Office for Victims of Crime
Washington, D.C. 20531

January 1, 2001

Dear Colleague:

For many years, victim service providers, justice professionals, and community
volunteers have joined forces to promote justice and safety for all. This year,
during the 21st commemoration of National Crime Victims' Rights Week, April
22 to 28, we have the opportunity to continue our efforts to shed light on the
plight of crime victims and encourage community support to meet victims'
needs.

This year's theme, "Victims' Rights: Reach for the Stars," exhorts us to set our
sights high in providing comprehensive, quality services to victims of crime,
holding offenders accountable for their actions, and engaging individuals and
communities in crime prevention and public safety initiatives. Our discipline's
longstanding history of strong and consistent advocacy for crime victims, often
in the face of adversity, is something to both celebrate and continue not only
during this special week, but in years to come.

Since the Crime Victims Fund was established, nearly $4.5 billion has been
collected for deposit from fines, penalties, and forfeited bail bonds paid by
convicted federal offenders. These funds, not taxpayer dollars, are used to
support federal, state, and local programs that provide essential services for
over two million crime victims in a time of need. They establish training,
technical assistance, and demonstration programs that benefit thousands of
community- and system-based professionals who assist victims of crime, and
provide services and technical assistance to victim advocates who serve Native
Americans. They help give victims the voice they need and deserve.

During 2001 National Crime Victims' Rights Week, over 10,000 victim service
and allied professional organizations will sponsor public education and
community outreach efforts to focus attention on victims' rights, needs, and
services. This Resource Guide, which was developed by the Victims'
Assistance Legal Organization (VALOR) with support from the Office for
Victims of Crime, is designed to help you plan commemorative activities in your
community and state and to aid you in promoting victims' rights and services
throughout the year.

Let us hope that others in our communities and across our nation will join us in
our work to ensure the continued fair treatment of victims. The staff of the
Office for Victims of Crime and I salute you for all you do.

Sincerely,

Kathryn M. Turman
Director

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Victims' Assistance Legal Organization, Inc.
8180 Greensboro Drive, Suite 1070, McLean, Virginia 22102-3823
Telephone (703) 748-0811
Facsimile (703) 356-5085

January 1, 2001

Dear Colleague:

This year we mark the 21st anniversary of the commemoration of National
Crime Victims' Rights Week with the theme "Victims' Rights: Reach for the
Stars." As we gather together all across the country to honor victims and those
who serve them, it is a good time to reflect upon our accomplishments, as well
as what lies ahead, as we continue to reach for the stars in our work on behalf
of victims of crime. 


This work began over thirty years ago when pioneers in the field of victim
services reached for something previously inconceivable--the provision of basic
rights within the criminal and juvenile justice systems for innocent victims of
crime. Today, there are over 30,000 laws nationwide that define and protect
victims' rights, as well as over 10,000 national, state, and local organizations
that provide assistance to people who have been hurt by crime. We have made
tremendous progress, but as always, there is more work to be done.

It is our sincere hope that this Resource Guide, developed with the assistance
of the Office for Victims of Crime, will provide ideas and resources to use
during your commemoration of National Crime Victims' Rights Week and
throughout the year. This year we have chosen graphics that remind us of the
reality that long after public attention has faded from a crime scene, the victims
who suffered the harm continue to need and require crucial services, assistance,
and protection throughout the long and painful ordeal that is the aftermath of
crime. As we approach this year's commemoration of National Crime Victims'
Rights Week, let us reach for the stars in working to establish--as a matter of
right--better services, more comprehensive assistance, and consistent
enactment and enforcement of legal rights and protection for all victims of
crime.

Sincerely,

Eric Smith
President

Morna A. Murray
Executive Director

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STATISTICAL OVERVIEWS 

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Statistical Overviews

One of the most popular components of this Resource Guide is the collection of
statistical overviews that addresses the full spectrum of crime and victimization.
The 17 topics presented in page-length statistical overviews--which include a
space to personalize with the sponsoring organization's contact information--
can be utilized as "stand alone" documents (which can be easily replicated
and/or faxed) or incorporated into any public education or community
awareness publications. Efforts have been made to incorporate the most current
and accurate data that address crime and victimization in the United States
today.

The topics covered by the statistical overviews are the following: 
o Child Abuse and Victimization 
o Cost of Crime 
o Crime and Education 
o Crime and Victimization
o Domestic Violence 
o Drunk Driving 
o Elder Abuse and Neglect 
o Financial Crime
o Hate and Bias Crime 
o Homicide 
o Juvenile Crime and Victimization 
o Rape and Sexual Assault 
o Sentencing and Corrections 
o Stalking 
o Substance Abuse and Crime 
o Victims with Disabilities 
o Workplace Violence and Crime 

Accessing Information: OVC Resource Center and Other Services

Victims, service providers, and allied professionals have an opportunity to
receive valuable information about victims' rights and services, criminal and
juvenile justice, crime prevention and other important issues on an ongoing basis
from the OVC Resource Center and the National Criminal Justice Reference
Service (NCJRS) in electronic format. Specific details about how to access
information are contained in this section, including a broad sampling of crime
victim-related Internet sites. Advocates can build an impressive library with the
most current research and literature available relevant to crime and victimization
by registering with NCJRS. For a registration form, call 800-627-6872.

NCVRW Resource Guide Co-sponsors 

This section provides a comprehensive listing of the national organizations that
serve as co-sponsors of the 2001 Resource Guide, including web site and
e-mail addresses, wherever available. 

Resource Guide Evaluation 


The feedback that VALOR receives from organizations that utilize the
Resource Guide is essential to improving and expanding future NCVRW
Resource Guides. When completing this brief form, victim service providers
should specify which resources in the Guide are most helpful and least helpful.
In addition, respondents are encouraged to attach any documentation of
activities and special events they sponsor during 2001 NCVRW. 

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Child Abuse and Victimization

In 1998, there were an estimated 903,000 victims of child maltreatment
nationwide. The rate of 12.9 per 1,000 children decreased from the 1997 rate
of 13.9 per 1,000 children. (Administration on Children, Youth and Families.
2000. Child Maltreatment 1998: Reports From the States to the National Child
Abuse and Neglect Data System. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services.)

Almost half of the states (49%) had child maltreatment victimization rates of 7.0
to 13.9 per 1,000 children. (Ibid.)

More than half (53.5%) of all victims suffered neglect, while 22.7% suffered
physical abuse; 11.5% were sexually abused. Victims of psychological abuse
and medical neglect each accounted for 6% or fewer. Additionally, 25.3% of
victims were reported to be victims of more than one type of maltreatment.
(Ibid.)

The highest victimization rates were for the 0-3 age group (14.8 victims per
1,000 children of this age), and rates declined as age increased. (Ibid.)

Victimization rates by race/ethnicity ranged from a low of 3.8 Asian/Pacific
Islander victims per 1,000 children of the same race in the population to 20.7
African-American victims. The victimization rate for American Indians/Alaska
Natives was 19.8; for Hispanics, 10.6; and for whites, 8.5. (Ibid.)

An estimated 1,100 children died of abuse and neglect, a rate of approximately
1.6 deaths per 100,000 children in the general population. (Ibid.)

Children not yet a year old accounted for 37.9% of the fatalities, and 77.5%
were not yet five years of age. (Ibid.)

Three-fifths (60.4%) of the perpetrators were female. More than four-fifths
(87.1%) of all victims were maltreated by one or both parents. The most
common pattern of maltreatment was a child neglected by a female parent with
no other perpetrators identified (44.7%). (Ibid.)

In 1997, child protective service agencies investigated 3 million reports of child
abuse, of which just under 1 million cases were substantiated. In addition,
2,200 children are reported missing to law enforcement agencies every day.
(Connelly, H. June 1999. "Children Exposed to Violence: Criminal Justice
Resources." Office for Victims of Crime Bulletin. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice.)

Nationally, child protective service agencies received reports on more than 3
million maltreated children in 1996--a 161% increase from 1980. Of these
reports, 35% were found to be substantiated while more than half (58%) were
closed for lack of substantiation. The remaining 7% were closed without any
finding at all. (National Center for Juvenile Justice. September 1999. Juvenile
Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention,
45.)

Neglect was the most common form of maltreatment found among all age
groups of victims; however, children eight years of age and younger
experienced 65% of all neglect in 1996. (Ibid., 46)

Note: OVC makes no representation concerning the accuracy of data from
non-Department of Justice sources.

Presented as a Public Service by

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Cost of Crime

During 1999, losses estimated at nearly $463 million (a 15% increase from
1998) were attributed to robberies. The value of property stolen averaged
$1,131 per robbery, ranging from $620 taken during robberies of convenience
stores to $4,552 per bank robbery. (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 15
October 2000. Crime in the United States, Uniform Crime Reports, 1999.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 28.)

The dollar value of property stolen in connection with property crimes in 1999
was estimated at over $14.8 billion. The average loss per offense in 1999 was
$1,449, compared to the 1998 recorded figure of $1,379. (Ibid., 37)


Based on information from 11,550 law enforcement agencies, 66,321 arson
offenses were reported in 1999. The average dollar loss of property damaged
due to reported arsons was $10,882. The overall average loss for all types of
structures was $19,533. (Ibid., 56)

During 1999, the estimated value of motor vehicles stolen nationwide was over
$7.0 billion. The average value per vehicle at the time of theft was $6,104. In
relating the value of vehicles stolen to those recovered, the recovery rate for
1999 was 67%.  (Ibid., 51)

During 1999, the average value of property stolen due to larceny-theft was
$678, up from the 1998 value of $632. Applying the average value to the
estimated number of larceny-thefts nationally, the loss to victims was nearly
$4.7 billion for the year. (Ibid., 45)

By type of larceny-theft, losses of goods and property stolen as a result of
thefts from buildings averaged $1,015 and from motor vehicles, $693. Purse
snatching resulted in an average loss of $392. (Ibid.)

Allowing just one youth to leave high school for a life of crime and drug abuse
costs society approximately $2 million. (National Center for Juvenile Justice.
September 1999. Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention.)

Total state correctional expenditures reached over $27 billion dollars in FY
1996, a 115% increase from $12.7 billion in 1985. (Bureau of Justice Statistics
(BJS). August 1999. State Prison Expenditures, 1996. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice.)

In 1996, the average cost to house each of the nation's one million plus state
inmates per year was $20,142 compared to $18,400 in 1990. (Ibid.)

The cost for all crime offenses declined in 1997 when compared to 1996
estimated costs. Robbery on streets or highways saw the highest cost reduction
percentage per offense (13%), while larceny-theft from buildings saw the
lowest (1.1%). (Bureau of Justice Statistics. 1999. Sourcebook of Criminal
Justice Statistics 1998. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 284,
table 3.124.)

In 1997, the cost of arson-related structural damage within the U.S. was just
over $782 million. The cost of arson-related vehicular damage added another
$103 million in losses in the arson category. (Ibid., 324, table 3.187)

Presented as a Public Service by

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Crime and Education

In 1998, students ages twelve through eighteen were victims of more than 2.7
million crimes at school, of which 253,000 were serious violent crimes (rape,
sexual assault, robbery, or aggravated assault). (Kaufman, P. et al. 2000.
Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2000. NCES 2001-017/NCJ-184176.
Washington, DC: U.S. Departments of Education and Justice.)

In 1998, there were sixty school-associated violent deaths in the United States.
Forty-seven of these violent deaths were homicides, eleven were suicides, and
one teenager was killed by a law enforcement officer in the course of duty.
(Ibid.)

At the middle and high school levels, physical attack or fight without a weapon
was generally the most commonly reported crime in 1996-97 (9 and 8 per
1,000 students, respectively). (Ibid.)

Between 1995 and 1999, the percentage of students ages twelve through
eighteen who said they felt unsafe while at school decreased (from 9% to 5%),
as well as those who felt unsafe while going to and from school (from 7% to
4%). (Ibid.)

Between 1995 and 1999, the percentage of students ages twelve through
eighteen who avoided one or more places at school for fear of their own safety
decreased, from 9% to 5%. This percentage, however, represented 1.1 million
students in 1999. (Ibid.)

In 1999, about 13% of students ages twelve through eighteen reported that
someone at school had use hate-related words against them. That is, in the
prior six months someone at school called them a derogatory word having to
do with race/ethnicity, religion, disability, gender, or sexual orientation. In
addition, about 36% of students saw hate-related graffiti at school. (Ibid.)

Since the 1992-93 school year, there has been at least one multiple victim
homicide event each year (except for the 1993-94 school year). The number
increased from two events in 1992-93 to five events in 1997-98. (1999 Annual
Report on School Safety, Joint Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Departments of
Education and Justice.)

In 1997, there were 63 thefts for every 1,000 students (ages twelve to
eighteen) at school. Theft accounted for about 61% of all crime against students
at school that year. (Ibid., 4)

The overall crime school crime rate between 1993 and 1997 declined, from
about 155 school-related crimes for every 1,000 students ages twelve to
eighteen in 1993 to about 102 such crimes in 1997. Crime victimization outside
of school declined from about 139 crimes for every 1,000 students in this age
group in 1993 to 117 such crimes in 1997. (Ibid.)

In 1997, 5% of all 12th graders reported that they had been injured on purpose
with a weapon such as a knife, gun, or club during the prior twelve months
while they were at school. (Ibid., 5)

Gangs reportedly operate in 41% of urban schools, 26% of suburban schools,
and 20% of rural schools. (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention. February 1999. Promising Strategies to Reduce Gun Violence.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)

Presented as a Public Service by

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Crime and Victimization

According to National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) data, from 1998 to
1999, the overall violent crime rate declined 10%, the result of a decrease in
the simple assault rate. Overall property crime rates declined due to lower rates
of burglary and household theft. (Rennison, C. August 2000. Criminal
Victimization 1999, Changes 1998-99 with Trends 1993-99. Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics.)

In 1998, U.S. residents ages twelve or older experienced approximately 28.8
million crimes. Types of victimization are as follows: 74% (21.2 million) were
property crimes; 25% (7.4 million) were crimes of violence; and 1% were
personal thefts. (Ibid.)

Victims reported over four in ten (44%) violent crimes and over three in ten
(34%) property crimes to the police in 1999. Among violent crimes, victims
reported robberies most often (61%) and rape or sexual assaults least often
(28%). Among property crimes, motor vehicle thefts continued to be the
property crime most often reported (84%). (Ibid.)

Males were victims of overall violent crime at rates 28% greater and robbed at
rates more than two times that of females. (Ibid.)

Victimizations per every 1,000 persons ages twelve and older in 1999 included:
42 blacks, 34 Hispanics, 32 whites, and 25 persons of other races. (Ibid.)

In 1999, for every 1,000 persons ages twelve or older, there occurred twelve
rapes or sexual assaults, two assaults with serious injury, and four robberies.
(Ibid.)

According to the FBI Crime Clock for 1999: one violent crime occurred every
22 seconds; one murder every 34 minutes; one forcible rape every 6 minutes;
one robbery every minute; and one aggravated assault every 34 seconds.
Additionally, one property crime occurred every 3 seconds; one burglary every
15 seconds; one larceny-theft every 5 seconds; and one motor vehicle theft
every 27 seconds. In 1999, one Crime Index offense occurred every 3
seconds. (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 15 October 2000. Crime in
the United States, Uniform Crime Reports, 1999. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice.)

In 1999, law enforcement agencies nationwide made an estimated 14 million
arrests for all criminal infractions excluding traffic violations. More specifically,
drug abuse violations accounted for 1.5 million arrests; driving under the
influence, approximately 1.5 million arrests; larceny-thefts, 1.2 million arrests;
and simple assaults, 1.3 million arrests. (Ibid., 211)

The 1999 rate for Crime Index offenses--4,267 for each 100,000 inhabitants in
the U.S.--was the lowest reported rate since 1973. (Ibid., 6)

Crime Index Offenses for 1999 include the following crimes and prevalence of
occurrence: larceny-theft (59.8%); burglary (18%); motor vehicle theft (9.9%);
aggravated assault (7.9%); robbery (3.5%); forcible rape (0.8%); and murder
(0.1%). (Ibid., 8, figure 2.3)

Of the 21% Crime Index clearance rate (excluding arson), murder offenses
were cleared most often (69.1%) and larceny-theft offenses cleared the least
(19.1%). (Ibid., 203)

Presented as a Public Service by

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Domestic Violence

Estimates from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) indicate that
in 1998, about 1 million violent crimes were committed against persons by their
current or former spouses, boyfriends, or girlfriends. (Rennison, C. et al. May
2000. "Intimate Partner Violence." Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report,
NCJ 178247. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice
Programs.)

About 85% of intimate victimizations by intimate partners in 1998, or 876,340
victimizations, were against women. (Ibid.)

Between 1993 and 1998, children under the age of twelve resided in 43% of
the households where intimate partner violence occurred. (Ibid.)

Intimate partner violence made up 22% of violent crime against women
between 1993 and 1998. By contrast, during this period intimate partners
committed 3% of the violence against men. (Ibid.)

The percentage of female murder victims killed by intimate partners has
remained at about 30% since 1976. (Ibid.)

Considered by age category, from 1993-98, women ages sixteen to
twenty-four experienced the highest per capita rates of intimate violence, 19.6
per 1,000 women. (Ibid.)

Overall, blacks were victimized by intimate partners at significantly higher rates
than persons of any other race between 1993 and 1998. Black females
experienced intimate partner violence at a rate 35% higher than that of white
females, and about 2.5 times the rate of women of other races. (Ibid.)

Between 1993 and 1998, almost two-thirds of intimate partner violence against
women, and about half of all intimate partner violence against men, occurred in
the victims' homes. Intimate partner violence occurred most often between 6
p.m. and 6 a.m. (Ibid.)

About half of all victims of intimate partner violence between 1993 and 1998
reported the violence to law enforcement authorities. (Ibid.)

Though the percentages of male and female victims of intimate partner violence
who were physically attacked were similar, the outcomes were different. Fifty
percent of female victims of intimate partner violence were injured by an
intimate partner versus 32% of male victims. (Ibid.)

In 1999, 67% of black women reported intimate partner violence to the police,
while 50% of white women reported intimate partner violence. (Rennison, C.
August 2000. Criminal Victimization 1999, Changes 1998-99 with Trends
1993-99. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice
Statistics.)

Data from the National Violence Against Women Survey indicate that violence
against women is predominantly intimate partner violence. Of the women who
reported being raped and/or physically assaulted since the age of eighteen,
three-quarters were victimized by a current or former husband, cohabiting
partner, date, or boyfriend. (National Institute of Justice and U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
1998. Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence Against Women:
Findings From the National Violence Against Women Survey. Washington,
DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 12.)

Presented as a Public Service by

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Drunk Driving

In 1999, 15,786 alcohol-related fatalities occurred, or 38% of the total traffic
fatalities for the year. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA). 2000. Traffic Safety Facts 1999, Alcohol. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Transportation.)

For fatal crashes occurring between midnight and 3 a.m., 76% involved
alcohol. (Ibid.)

In 1999, 29% of all fatal crashes during the week were alcohol-related,
compared to 51% on weekends. For all crashes, the alcohol involvement rate
was 5% during the week and 13% during the weekend. (Ibid.)

Intoxication rates for vehicle operators involved in fatal crashes in 1999 were
highest for motorcycles (28%), followed by light trucks (20%), passenger cars
(17%), and large trucks (1%). (Ibid.)

An estimated 308,000 persons were injured in crashes where police reported
that alcohol was present--an average of one person injured approximately
every
two minutes. (Ibid.)

In 1999, 30% of all traffic fatalities occurred in crashes in which at least one
driver or nonoccupant had a BAC (blood alcohol concentration) of 0.10 or
greater. Seventy percent of the 12,321 people killed in such crashes were
themselves intoxicated. (Ibid.)

The 15,786 fatalities in alcohol-related crashes during 1999 represent an
average of one alcohol-related fatality every thirty-three minutes. (Ibid.)

All states and the District of Columbia now have 21-year-old minimum age
drinking laws. NHTSA estimates that these laws have reduced traffic fatalities
involving drivers eighteen to twenty years old by 13% and have saved an
estimated 19,121 lives since 1975. In 1999, an estimated 901 lives were saved
by minimum drinking age laws. (Ibid.)

The rate of alcohol involvement in fatal crashes is more than three times as high
at night as during the day (60% vs. 17%). For all crashes, the alcohol
involvement rate is more than five times as high at night (17% vs. 3%). (Ibid.)

The highest intoxication rates in fatal crashes were recorded for drivers ages
21-24 (27%), followed by ages 25-34 (24%), and ages 35-44 (21%). (Ibid.)

In 1999, 21% of the children under fifteen years old who were killed in motor
vehicle crashes were killed in alcohol-related crashes. (National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). 2000. Traffic Safety Facts 1999,
Children. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation.)

Of the children 0-14 years old who were killed in alcohol-related crashes
during 1999, almost half (250) were passengers in vehicles with drivers who
had been drinking, with BAC levels of 0.01 or higher. (Ibid.)

In 1999, there was an estimated total of 1,511,300 (up from the 1998 figure of
968,868) arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol. (Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI). 15 October 2000. Crime in the United States, Uniform
Crime Reports, 1999. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 211.)

Note: OVC makes no representation concerning the accuracy of data from
non-Department of Justice sources.

Presented as a Public Service by

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Elder Abuse and Neglect

In 1999, the rate of violent crime victimization of persons ages sixty-five or
older was 4 per 1,000. (Rennison, C. August 2000. Criminal Victimization
1999, Changes 1998-99 with Trends 1993-99, NCJ 182734. Washington,
DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics.)

The first National Elder Abuse Incidence Study estimates that a total of
551,011 elderly persons, ages sixty and over, experienced abuse, neglect,
and/or self neglect in domestic settings in 1996. Of this total, 115,110 (21%)
were reported to and substantiated by adult protective service agencies, with
the remaining 435,901 (79%) not reported to APS agencies. These figures
indicate that almost four times as many new incidents of elder abuse, neglect,
and/or self-neglect were unreported than those reported in 1996. (National
Center on Elder Abuse. September 1998. National Elder Abuse Incidence
Study: Final Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, Administration for Children and Families and Administration on
Aging.)

Neglect of the elderly was the most frequent type of elder maltreatment
(48.7%); emotional/psychological abuse was the second (35.5%); physical
abuse was the third (25.6%); financial/material exploitation was the fourth
(30.2%); and abandonment was the least common (3.6%). (Ibid.)

Adult children comprised the largest category of perpetrators (47.3%) of
substantiated incidents of elder abuse; spouses followed second by 19.3%;
other relatives were third at 8.8%; and grandchildren followed last with 8.6%.
(Ibid.)

Three out of four elder abuse and neglect victims suffer from physical frailty.
About one-half (47.9%) of substantiated incidents of abuse and neglect
involved elderly persons who were not physically able to care for themselves,
while 28.7% of victims could care for themselves marginally. (Ibid.)

Some experts estimate that only one out of fourteen domestic elder abuse
incidents (excluding self-neglect) comes to the attention of authorities. Based on
these estimates, somewhere between 820,000 and 1,860,000 elders were
victims of abuse in 1996, indicating that the majority of cases went unreported
to state protective agencies. (Tatara, R. November 1997. "Reporting
Requirements and Characteristics of Victims." Domestic Elder Abuse
Information Series #3. Washington, DC: National Center on Elder Abuse, 1.)

From 1986 to 1996, there was a steady increase in the reporting of domestic
elder abuse nationwide, from 117,000 reported cases in 1986 to 293,000
reported cases in 1996--a 150.4% increase. (Ibid., 2)

According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, 66.4% of victims of
domestic elder abuse were white, 18.7% were black, 10.4% were Hispanic,
and 1% each were Native Americans and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders
for the reporting year 1996. (Ibid.)

In 1996, 22.5% of all domestic elder abuse reports came from physicians and
other health care professionals; 15.1% from other care service providers;
16.3% from family members and relatives; and the remainder from other
reporting sources: police, friends, neighbors, clergy, banks/business institutions,
etc. (Ibid, 1)

Note: OVC makes no representation concerning the accuracy of data from
non-Department of Justice sources.

Presented as a Public Service by

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Financial Crime

Types of Internet fraud identified at the Internet Fraud Complaint Center
(IFCC) at the FBI's National White Collar Crime Center include: auction fraud,
nondelivery of products ordered, securities fraud, credit card fraud, identity
theft, business opportunities, and professional services. (National White Collar
Crime Center. 2000. <www.ifccfbi.gov>.)

The average monetary loss per complaint with IFCC is $675. (Ibid.)

More than 72% of the victims reporting Internet fraud to IFCC are male; over
77% of the male and female victims are between the ages of twenty to fifty.
(Ibid.)

In 1999, the total estimated arrests (based on all reporting agencies and
estimates for unreported areas) included: 363,800 arrests for fraud; 106,950
arrests for forgery and counterfeiting; 17,100 arrests for embezzlement; and
121,900 arrests for buying, receiving, and possessing stolen property. (Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 15 October 2000. Crime in the United States,
Uniform Crime Reports, 1999. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice,
212.)


In 1999, a total of $491 million in restitution was ordered in financial fraud and
institution matters pending before the U.S. Department of Justice. An additional
$5.5 million was ordered in fines. (Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). 2000.
Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics 1999. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice, 314.)

In federal court in 1999, 1,198 defendants were convicted of embezzlement;
9,618 defendants were convicted of fraud; and 1,408 defendants were
convicted of forgery and counterfeiting in federal court. (Ibid., 432.)

The U.S. Justice Department successfully prosecuted 2,613 cases of financial
institution fraud in 1998. These convictions netted $62.4 million in recovered
assets and $491 million in court-ordered restitution to the victims of these
frauds. (Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). 1999. Sourcebook of Criminal
Justice Statistics 1998. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 305,
table 3.159)

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, senior citizens are targeted at
a rate of 34% of U.S. residents in fraud schemes. The general public is targeted
for telemarketing fraud at a rate of 30%, small businesses at 12%, and investors
at 7%. (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). March 1998. Law Enforcement
Bulletin: Telemarketing Fraud. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice,
13.)

Federal prosecutors filed 322 new criminal health care fraud cases in 1998--a
14% increase over the previous year. During this same time period, federal
courts ordered convicted offenders to pay over $480 million in fines,
judgments, and settlements. (Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program
Annual Report for FY 1999. February 1999. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Justice.)

The Secret Service reports that financial losses relating to identity fraud totaled
$745 million in 1997, while only two years earlier, such losses amounted to
$442 million. (Mannix, M. 1 June 1998. "Stolen Identity." U.S. News and
World Report.)

Note: OVC makes no representation concerning the accuracy of data from
non-Department of Justice sources.

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Hate and Bias Crime

The Federal Bureau of Investigation reports that 7,876 hate crime incidents
were reported to law enforcement agencies nationwide in 1999. The 7,876
incidents involved 9,301 separate offenses, 9,802 victims, and 7,271 known
offenders. (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 15 October 2000. Crime in
the United States, Uniform Crime Reports, 1999. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice, 59.)

Of the 7,876 hate crime incidents reported, 4,295 were motivated by racial
bias; 1,411 by religious bias; 1,317 by sexual orientation bias; 829 by
ethnicity/national origin bias; 19 by disability bias; and 5 by multiple biases.
(Ibid.)

In terms of incidents in 1999, 2,958 were anti-black; 1,109 were anti-Jewish;
915 were anti-gay men; 781 were anti-white; 466 were anti-Hispanic; 298
were anti-Asian/Pacific Islander; 187 were anti-gay women; and 47 were
anti-American Indian/Alaskan native. (Ibid.)

Crimes against persons accounted for over 67% of hate crime offenses
reported in 1999. Crimes against property accounted for over 33%, while less
than 1% were crimes against society. (Ibid., 60)

Of the hate crimes against persons in 1999, intimidation accounted for 53%,
while simple assault and aggravated assault represented 29% and 18%,
respectively. (Ibid.)

In 1999, racial bias represented the largest percentage of bias-motivated
offenses. Of the 9,301 reported offenses, 5,240 were motivated by racial bias.
(Ibid., 59)

Of those offenses motivated by bias by ethnicity/national origin in 1999, over
half of the incidents were reported as anti-Hispanic. (Ibid.)

Of those offenses motivated by bias against religious orientation in 1999, over
three-fourths were based upon anti-Jewish bias. (Ibid.)

In 1999, 63% of the 9,802 victims were targets of crimes against persons, as
opposed to property or society. Over 50% of hate crime victims were attacked
because of their race, with bias against blacks counting for 38% of the total.
(Ibid., 60)

Sixteen percent of all victims of hate/bias crimes in 1999 were victims of crimes
motivated by bias against sexual orientation; 69% of these were victims of
specifically anti-male homosexual bias, and 15% specifically anti-female
homosexual bias. (Ibid., 59)

Of the 7,271 known offenders in 1999, 68% were white and 16% black. Nine
percent of the offenders were of unknown races and 7% were of other races.
(Ibid., 60)

When considering offenses in 1999, 6,103 known offenders were connected
with crimes against persons; 1,444 were linked to crimes against property; and
46 were connected with crimes against society. (Ibid.)

Thirty percent of the 7,271 known offenders were involved with the offense of
intimidation, the single most reported offense in 1999. (Ibid.)

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Homicide

In 1999, the estimated number of persons murdered in the United States was
15,553. The 1999 figure was down 8% from 1998 and 28% from 1995.
(Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 15 October 2000. Crime in the United
States, Uniform Crime Reports, 1999. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Justice, 14.)

The national murder rate in 1999 was 5.7 per 100,000 inhabitants, the lowest
since 1966. Five- and ten-year trends show the 1999 murder rate was 30%
lower than in 1995 and 39% lower than the 1990 rate. (Ibid.)

Firearms were used in approximately seven out of every ten murders committed
in the nation in 1999. (Ibid., 17)

Handguns accounted for 51% of the murder total for which weapon data were
submitted. (Ibid.)

Forty-two enforcement officers were feloniously slain in the line of duty during
1999, nineteen fewer than in 1998. (Ibid., 291)

In 1999, 47% of murder victims were black, 50% were white, and the
remaining 3% of murder victims were other races. Seventy-six percent of
murder victims were male and 88% were eighteen or older. (Ibid., 14)

Supplemental data for 1999 indicate that 48% of all murder victims knew their
assailants. Twelve percent of offenders were identified as strangers, and
offenders were unknown in 40% of murders. (Ibid. 17)

Handguns were used in 51% of all murders committed in 1999. Knives were
used in 13% of the cases; personal weapons (hands, fists, feet, etc.) in 7%; and
blunt objects in 6% of all murders. (Ibid.)

Males are over nine times more likely than females to commit murder, and male
and female offenders are more likely to target males as victims. (Bureau of
Justice Statistics (BJS). January 1999. Homicide Trends in the United States,
Bureau of Justice Statistics Crime Data Brief. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs.)

Of all persons murdered in 1997, 11%, or 2,100, were under the age of
eighteen. Of these, 33% were under the age of six; 50% were ages fifteen
through seventeen; 30% were female; 47% were black; and 56% were killed
with a firearm. Forty percent were killed by family members, 45% by
acquaintances, and 15% by strangers. (National Center for Juvenile Justice.
September 1999. Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention, 17.)

In 1997, juvenile homicide rates were the lowest in the decade but still 21%
above the average of the 1980s. In 27% of homicides by juveniles, the victim
was also a juvenile. (Ibid., 53 and 54)

A firearm killed 70% of victims murdered by juveniles. Of all victims killed by
juveniles, 14% were family members; 55% were acquaintances; and 31% were
strangers. (Ibid., 54)

In 1997, an estimated 2,300 murders (approximately 12% of all murders) in the
United States involved at least one juvenile offender. In 31% of homicides
involving juvenile offenders, an adult offender was also involved. (Ibid.)

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Juvenile Crime and Victimization

Note: The FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) system and the Bureau of
Justice Statistics National Crime Victimization Survey do not collect information
about crimes committed against persons under twelve years of age and thus do
not provide a comprehensive picture of juvenile crime victimization. The FBI's
National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) includes detailed data
about juvenile victims and is designed to replace UCR as the national database
for crimes reported to law enforcement.

An analysis of 1997 NIBRS data reveals that while juveniles (youths ages
seventeen and younger) make up 26% of the population of the twelve
participating NIBRS states, they accounted for 71% of all sex crime victims
and 38% of all kidnapping victims. (Finkelhor, D. and R. Ormrod. June 2000.
Characteristics of Crimes Against Juveniles. Washington, DC: U.S. Department
of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.)

Girls outnumber boys as victims of sex offenses (82% vs. 18%) and kidnapping
(63% vs. 37%), while boys outnumber girls as victims of robbery (81% vs.
19%) and larceny (69% vs. 31%). Overall, boys are somewhat more likely
than girls to be victimized (55% vs. 45%). (Ibid.)

Juvenile violent crime is at its lowest level since 1987 and has fallen 30% from
1994 to 1998. The juvenile murder arrest rate has dropped 50% from 1993 to
1998. Other drops include: forcible rape down 25% from 1991 to 1998;
aggravated assault down 20% from 1994 to 1998; robbery down 45% from
1995 to 1998; and motor vehicle theft down 39% from 1989 to 1998. (Office
of Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention. 1999. "Juvenile Arrests 1998."
Bulletin. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)

In 1999, 17% of all persons arrested nationally were juveniles (ages eighteen
and under). (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 15 October 2000. Crime in
the United States, Uniform Crime Reports, 1999. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice, 212.)

Nationally, 12% of the total clearances for forcible rape involved only juveniles
(persons under the age of eighteen). (Ibid., 25)

Juvenile males are much more likely than females to be victims of serious violent
crimes. In 1997, serious violent crime victimization rates were 33 per 1,000
male youth, compared to 21 per 1,000 female youth. (America's Children: Key
National Indicators of Well-Being. 1999. Washington, DC: Federal
Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, 40.)

In 1997, the serious violent juvenile crime-offending rate was 31 crimes per
1,000 juveniles ages twelve to seventeen years old, or a total of 706,000 such
crimes. (Ibid., 41.)

Juveniles are more likely to be the victim of a violent crime in the four hours
following the end of the school day (roughly 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.) than at any other
time of the day. (National Center for Juvenile Justice. September 1999.
Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention,
34.)

The 1996 National Youth Gang Survey estimates there were approximately
31,000 gangs operating in 4,800 U.S. cities in 1995. These gangs had more
than 846,000 members, half of whom were under the age of eighteen. (Ibid.,
77)

Note: OVC makes no representation concerning the accuracy of data from
non-Department of Justice sources.

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Rape and Sexual Assault

In 1999, law enforcement agencies received reports of an estimated 89,167
forcible rapes, a 4% decline from 1998. (Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI). 15 October 2000. Crime in the United States, Uniform Crime Reports,
1999. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 25.)

The highest percentage of rape offenses are those committed by force, or 89%
of rapes reported in 1999. Attempts or assaults to commit forcible rape
accounted for the remaining 11%. (Ibid.)

In 1999, participating law enforcement agencies made an estimated 28,830
arrests for forcible rape. (Ibid.)

Of those arrested for forcible rape in 1999, 44% were under the age of
twenty-five, and 61% were white. (Ibid.)

An estimated 64 of every 100,000 females in the country were reported rape
victims in 1999, a decrease of 5% from the 1998 rate, and 11% from the 1995
rate. (Ibid.)

By community type, in 1999, the forcible rape rate in metropolitan areas was
67 per 100,000 females; outside metropolitan areas, 66 per 100,000 females;
and in rural counties, 45 per 100,000 females. (Ibid.)

In 1999, almost seven in ten rape or sexual assault victims, in contrast to fewer
than five in ten aggravated assault victims, knew the offender(s) as
acquaintance, friend, or intimate. (Rennison, C. August 2000. Criminal
Victimization 1999, Changes 1998-99 with Trends 1993-99, NCJ 182734.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics.)

Nearly 25% of surveyed women and 7.6% of surveyed men said they were
raped and/or physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, cohabiting
partner, or date at some time in their lifetime. (Tjaden, P. and N. Thoennes.
July 2000. Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence,
Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey, NCJ 181867.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice and
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)

Of the estimated 4.8 million intimate partner rapes and physical assaults
perpetrated against women annually, approximately 2 million will result in an
injury to the victim, and 552,192 will result in some type of medical treatment to
the victim. (Ibid.)

One-third of all sexual assaults reported to law enforcement agencies involve a
victim under the age of twelve; one in four of these victims is male. (National
Center for Juvenile Justice. September 1999. Juvenile Offenders and Victims:
1999 National Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.)

In sexual assaults of adults, the offender was a stranger in 25% of incidents, a
family member in 12% of incidents, and an acquaintance in 63% of incidents.
(Ibid., 30)

In 1998, females sustained rape or sexual assault at a rate fourteen times that of
males (2.7 versus 0.2 victimizations per 1,000 persons). (Bureau of Justice
Statistics (BJS). July 1999. Criminal Victimization 1998: Changes 1997-98
with Trends 1993-98. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)

In 1998, 74% of rape or sexual assault victims knew their offenders, and 18%
of victims were victimized by an intimate. (Ibid.)

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Sentencing and Corrections

Overall, the United States incarcerated 2,026,596 persons at year end 1999.
(Beck, A. August 2000. Prisoners in 1999, NCJ 183476. Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics.)

The rate of incarceration in prison at year end 1999 was 476 sentenced inmates
per 100,000 U.S. residents--up from 292 in 1990. About 1 in every 110 men
and 1 in every 1,695 women were sentenced prisoners under the jurisdiction of
state or federal authorities. (Ibid.)

Of the 33,855 offenders returning to federal prison between 1986 and 1997,
54% returned within one year of being released; an additional 34% returned
within two years of being released. About 12% returned after two to three
years. (Sabol, W. et al. September 2000. Offenders Returning to Federal
Prison, 1986-97, NCJ 182991. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice,
Bureau of Justice Statistics.)

Offenders originally convicted of violent offenses were more likely to return
(32%) to federal prison within three years of their release than offenders who
had been convicted of property (17% returned), drug (13%) or public order
(15%) offenses. (Ibid.)

In 1996, state courts convicted 997,970 adult offenders on felony charges, an
average growth of approximately 5% every year since 1988. (Bureau of Justice
Statistics (BJS). May 1999. "Felony Sentences in State Courts." Bulletin.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs.)

Of felons convicted, 54% were white, 44% were black, and 2% were other
races; the average age was thirty-one. (Ibid., 1)

Sixty-nine percent of all convicted felons were sentenced to a period of
confinement--38% to state prisons and 31% to local jails. The remaining 31%
were sentenced to straight probation with no jail or prison time to serve. (Ibid.,
3)

Under the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984, the proportion of defendants
sentenced to prison increased from 54% during 1988 to 71% during 1998.
(Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). September 1999. Federal Criminal Case
Processing, 1998. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)

On September 30, 1998, 107,912 offenders were serving a prison sentence in
federal prison; 58% were incarcerated for a drug offense; 11% for a violent
offense; 8% for a weapons offense; 8% for a property offense; 7% for an
immigration offense; and 8% for all other offenses. (Ibid.)

Nearly seven in ten state prison admissions for a violent crime in 1997 were in
states requiring offenders to serve at least 85% of their sentence. (Bureau of
Justice Statistics (BJS). January 1999. "Truth in Sentencing in State Prisons."
Special Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)

In 1996 the mean prison sentence for murder and non-negligent manslaughter
was 21+ years; the median was twenty-five years. (Bureau of Justice Statistics
(BJS). May 1999. "Felony Sentences in State Courts, 1996." Bulletin.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, 3.)

Time to be served in federal prisons increased from 23 to 75 months for
weapons offenses and from 30 to 66 months for drug offenses. (Ibid., 1)

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Stalking 

Data from the National Violence Against Women (NVAW) Survey, a series of
telephone interviews with a nationally representative sample of 8,000 U.S.
women and 8,000 U.S. men about their experiences as victims of various forms
of violence (including intimate partner violence), indicates that stalking by
intimates is more prevalent than previously thought. The survey defines stalking
as a course of conduct directed at a specific person that involves repeated (two
or more occasions) visual or physical proximity; nonconsensual communication;
verbal, written, or implied threats; or a combination thereof, that would cause a
reasonable person harm. Almost 5% of surveyed women and 0.6% of
surveyed men reported being stalked by a current or former spouse, cohabiting
partner, or date at some time in their lifetime. (Tjaden, P. and N. Thoennes.
July 2000. Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence,
NCJ 181867. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute
of Justice and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)

Of those surveyed individuals who reported being stalked by such a partner in
the previous twelve months, 0.5% were women and 0.2% were men. (Ibid.)

Annually in the United States, 503,485 women and 185,496 men are stalked
by an intimate partner. (Ibid.)

Approximately one-half of stalking incidents perpetrated against female
respondents by intimates were reported to the police. (Ibid.)

Based on analyses of the NVAW Survey, prevalence rates of cyberstalking
roughly estimate that 8.2 million women will be stalked at some point during
their lifetime, and 1% of women have been stalked during the preceding twelve
months. (Cyberstalking: A New Challenge for Law Enforcement and Industry,
A Report from the Attorney General to the Vice President. August 1999.)

Data from a survey of randomly chosen college students, using a definition of
stalking as "repeated and obsessive behavior that made you afraid or
concerned for your safety," found 156.5 incidents of stalking per 1,000 female
students and 130.7 victims per 1,000 female students. (Fisher, B. and F.
Cullen. 1999. The Extent and Nature of the Sexual Victimization of College
Women. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of
Justice.)

With respect to stalking behavior in the above-cited survey, 42% of stalkers
followed the victim; 52% of stalkers waited outside or inside places; 44% of
stalkers watched from afar; 78% telephoned; 31% sent letters; and 25%
e-mailed the victim. (Ibid.)

Seventy-three percent of the victims had taken some action in response to the
stalking, including: avoidance or attempt at avoidance of stalker (43.2%); no
acknowledgement of messages or e-mails (8.8%); improved residential security
system (4.1%); began traveling with a companion (3.9%); and filing of a
grievance or initiated disciplinary action with university (3.3%). (Ibid.)

Researchers estimated that about one-third of stalking victims reported they
had sought psychological treatment. In addition, one-fifth lost time from work,
and 7% of those never returned to work. (National Institute of Justice.
November 1997. "The Crime of Stalking: How Big is the Problem?" Bulletin,
citing The National Violence Against Women Survey, sponsored by National
Institute of Justice and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)

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Substance Abuse and Crime

A total of 1.5 million arrests were reported in 1999 for drug abuse violations.
(Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 15 October 2000. Crime in the United
States, Uniform Crime Reports, 1999. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Justice, 211.)

The number of persons incarcerated in state prisons for drug offenses increased
19% between 1990 and 1998. (Beck, A. August 2000. Prisoners in 1999,
NCJ 183476. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice
Statistics.)

In 1995 and 1997, almost one-third of all students in grades nine through
twelve (32%) reported that someone had offered, sold, or given them an illegal
drug on school property. This was an increase from 1993, when 24% of such
students reported that illegal drugs were available to them on school property.
(Kaufman, P. et al. 2000. Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2000. NCES
2001-017/NCJ-184176. Washington, DC: U.S. Departments of Education
and Justice.)

In 1997, about 51% of students in grades nine through twelve had at least one
drink of alcohol in the previous thirty days. (Ibid.)

High school seniors who used drugs were more likely than those who did not to
be the victims of violence. Eleven percent of students using drugs (other than
marijuana) three or more times reported they had been injured with a weapon,
and 21% had been injured on purpose without the use of a weapon. (Office of
Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention. Juvenile Offenders and Victims:
1999 National Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 36.)

One-half of all state inmates and a third of convicted jail inmates serving time
for violence against an intimate reported that they had been drinking for six or
more hours prior to the offense. (Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). March
1998. Violence by Intimates, Analysis of Data on Crimes by Current or Former
Spouses, Boyfriends, and Girlfriends. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Justice, 28.)

It is estimated that nearly 14 million U.S. residents, ages twelve and older, used
illicit drugs in 1997. Of that number, 4 million were thought to be chronic drug
users--3.6 million chronic cocaine users and 810,000 heroin users. (Office of
National Drug Control Policy. National Drug Control Strategy, 1999.
Washington, DC: Executive Office of the President of the United States.)

The rate of drug-related murders declined from 1,302 in 1992 to 786 in 1997.
(Ibid.)


In 1997, 62.5% of the federal inmate population were sentenced for drug
offenses, up from 53% in 1990. (Ibid.)

The National Institute of Justice's Arrestee and Drug Abuse Monitoring
drug-testing program found that more than 60% of adult male arrestees tested
positive for drugs in 1997. (Ibid., 24)

Researchers estimate that one-fourth to one-half of men who commit acts of
domestic violence also have substance-abuse problems. (Ibid., 25)

A survey of state child welfare agencies by the National Committee to Prevent
Child Abuse found substance abuse to be one of the top two problems
exhibited by 81% of families reported for child maltreatment. (Ibid.)

Note: OVC makes no representation concerning the accuracy of data from
non-Department of Justice sources.

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Victims with Disabilities

The FBI's Uniform Crime Reports show that in 1999, of the 9,301 reported
bias-motivated offenses, twenty-one were motivated by disability bias, eleven
of which were motivated by anti-physical disability bias and ten by anti-mental
disability bias. (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 15 October 2000.
Crime in the United States, Uniform Crime Reports, 1999. Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Justice, 59.)

Approximately 54 million Americans live with a wide variety of physical,
cognitive, and emotional disabilities. (Tyiska, C. September 1998. "Working
with Victims of Crime with Disabilities." Office for Victims of Crime Bulletin.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime.)

Estimates indicate that at least 6 million serious injuries occur each year due to
crime, resulting in either temporary or permanent disability. The National
Rehabilitation Information Center has estimated that as many as 50% of
patients who are long-term residents of hospitals and specialized rehabilitation
centers are there due to crime-related injuries. (Ibid.)

Children with any kind of disability are more than twice as likely as nondisabled
children to be physically abused and almost twice as likely to be sexually
abused. (Ibid., citing Petersilia, J. Report to the California Senate Public Safety
Committee Hearings on Persons with Developmental Disabilities in the Criminal
Justice System.)

Research conducted by the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect
(NCCAN) in 1993 found that of all children who are abused, 17.2% had
disabilities. Of all children who were sexually abused, 15.2% had disabilities.
(Crosse, S., E. Kaye, and A. Ratnofsky. 1993. A Report on the Maltreatment
of Children with Disabilities. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health,
Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Child, Youth, and
Families, National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect.)

Of the children with maltreatment-related injuries, child protection case workers
reported that maltreatment directly contributed to, or was likely to have led to,
disabilities for 62% of the children who experienced sexual abuse, for 48% of
children who experienced emotional abuse, and for 55% of children who
experienced neglect. (Ibid.)

Research consistently shows that women with disabilities, regardless of age,
race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or class, are assaulted, raped, and abused at
a rate of two times greater than non-disabled women. (Sobsey, D. 1994.
Violence and Abuse in the Lives of People with Disabilities. Baltimore, MD:
Paul H. Brookes; Cusitar, L. 1994. Strengthening the Links: Stopping the
Violence. Toronto: DisAbled Women's Network (DAWN).

The risk of being physically or sexually assaulted for adults with developmental
disabilities is likely four to ten times as high as it is for other adults. (Sobsey, D.,
supra.)

People with developmental and other severe disabilities represent at least 10%
of the population of the United States. Of this population group: 1.8% of the
individuals have developmental disabilities; 5% of the individuals have adult
onset brain impairment; and 2.8% of the individuals have severe major mental
disorders. (Sorenson, D. November 1996. "The Invisible Victim," The
California Prosecutor, XIX (1).)

Note: OVC makes no representation concerning the accuracy of data from
non-Department of Justice sources.

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Workplace Violence and Crime

In 1998, there were 709 homicides in the workplace, down from 860 in 1997.
Of this number, 521 victims (73%) were wage and salary workers and 188
(27%) were self-employed . (Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). 2000.
Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics 1999. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice, 306.)

In 80% of workplace homicides in 1998, a firearm was used to kill the victim.
The remaining murder victims were either stabbed (9%), beaten (7), or killed
with another type of weapon (4%). (Ibid.)

Over half of all victims killed in the workplace were between twenty-five and
forty-four years of age; 19%, between forty-five and fifty-four; 12%, between
fifty-five and sixty-four; 9%, twenty-four years and younger; and 7%, sixty-five
and older. (Ibid.)

In 1998, 80% of workplace homicide victims died during robberies of their
workplace; 14% were killed by work associates (9% by current or former
co-workers and 5% by clients); and the remaining 6% were killed by personal
acquaintances (2% by husbands or ex-husbands, 1% by boyfriends or
ex-boyfriends, and 4% by other family members). (Ibid.)   

Seventy-seven percent of workplace violence victims in 1998 were male and
23% were female. Sixty-six percent of these victims were white; 18% were
black; 14% were Hispanic (*); 10% were Asian or Pacific Islander; 1% were
American Indian, Eskimo or Aleut; and the remaining 5% were of other or
unspecified races. (*Persons identified as Hispanic may be of other races;
therefore, total will exceed 100%). (Ibid.)

Of selected occupations examined from 1992 to 1996, law enforcement
officers were the most vulnerable to be victims of workplace violence. Other
occupations with high rates of victimization included private security guards, taxi
drivers, prison and jail guards, and bartenders. (Bureau of Justice Statistics
(BJS). July 1999. Criminal Victimization 1998: Changes 1997-98 with Trends
1993-98. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)

Homicide is the second leading cause of fatal occupational injury in the nation.
Nearly 1,000 workers are murdered and 1.5 million assaulted in the workplace
each year. The 709 workplace homicides in 1998 accounted for 12% of the
total 6,026 fatal work injuries that year. (Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
1999. National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1998. Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Labor.)

Currently, one out of every six violent crimes experienced by U.S. residents
ages twelve or older occurs in the workplace, including 20.5% of all reported
assaults, 10.8% of all reported rapes, and 6.5% of all reported robberies.
(Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). July 1998. "Workplace Violence, 1992-96:
National Crime Victimization Survey." Special Report. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice.)

Workplace violence costs American business approximately $4.2 billion a year,
conservatively estimating that each significant episode runs upwards of
$250,000 in lost work time, employee medical benefits, and legal expenses.
(Albrecht, S. 1997. Fear and Violence on the Job: Prevention Solutions for the
Dangerous Workplace. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press.)

Note: OVC makes no representation concerning the accuracy of data from
non-Department of Justice sources.

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Accessing Information: OVC Resource Center and Other Services

VICTIMS' RESOURCES IN THE INFORMATION AGE

The advent of information technologies, especially the enormous growth of the
Internet, has changed the way in which information about crime victims' issues is
being made available to researchers, advocates, and practitioners. Today,
victims and victim service providers can instantly access an enormous amount
of information specific to their needs, including the latest research findings,
statistical reports, program descriptions, grant and funding sources, evaluations
on victim issues, promising practices, and referrals to professional organizations
in the victim-serving community.

For victims and victim service providers, information access begins with the
Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center (OVCRC), a component of the
National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS). Established by the
Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), U.S. Department of Justice, OVCRC is
your primary source for crime victim information. OVCRC is accessible 24
hours a day through the NCJRS World Wide Web Justice Information Center
and Fax-on-Demand where menus provide information and publications from
all Office for Justice Program (OJP) agencies--Office for Victims of Crime,
National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention, Bureau of Justice Statistics, and Bureau of Justice Assistance--as
well as from the Office of National Drug Control Policy. In addition to the Web
site, victim assistance professionals can benefit by taking advantage of various
online services, such as the Justice Information (JUSTINFO) Electronic
Newsletter, e-mail inquiries, the Conference Calender Database, and the
Online Ordering Store. NCJRS also has highly trained information specialists to
personally answer questions and direct individuals to the best resources
available. Furthermore, NCJRS offers allied professionals an opportunity to be
placed on their mailing list to receive up-to-date information via the NCJRS
Catalog. Together with online services, Fax-on-Demand, and personal
assistance, NCJRS and OVCRC can help victim advocates know more to
better serve the needs of victims of crime.

ACCESSING NCJRS AND OVCRC ONLINE

To contact NCJRS, call 800-851-3420. NCJRS Online can be accessed in
the following ways:

o NCJRS World Wide Web Homepage. The homepage provides NCJRS
information, and links to other criminal justice resources from around the world.
The NCJRS Web page provides information about NCJRS and OJP
agencies, grant-funding opportunities, full-text publications, key-word searching
of NCJRS publications, access to the NCJRS Abstracts Database, the current
NCJRS Catalog, and a topical index. The address for the NCJRS Homepage
is <http://www.ncjrs.gov>.

o NCJRS Online Ordering System. Publications, videos, and other materials
that pertain to criminal justice, juvenile justice, and drug control policy can now
be ordered at any time. The online store is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
at <http://puborder.ncjrs.gov/>.

o Justice Information (JUSTINFO) Electronic Newsletter. This free, online
newsletter is distributed to your Internet e-mail address on the 1st and 15th of
each month. JUSTINFO contains information concerning a wide variety of
subjects, including news from all Office of Justice Programs (OJP) agencies and
the Office of National Drug Control Policy; criminal justice resources on the
Internet; criminal justice funding and program information; and announcements
about new NCJRS products and services. To subscribe, send an e-mail to
<listproc@ncjrs.gov> with the message subscribe justinfo [your name].

o E-Mail: Information and Help. Users requiring technical assistance or having
specific questions on criminal and juvenile justice topics can send an e-mail to
<askncjrs@ncjrs.gov>. To place an order for publications, users may send an
e-mail to <puborder@ncjrs.gov>.

OTHER NCJRS ELECTRONIC INFORMATION SERVICES

o Fax-on-demand. NCJRS has established a "fax-on-demand" service that
allows the user to obtain copies of selected NCJRS documents directly through
their own fax machine, using a toll-free telephone number. To access the
fax-on-demand menu, simply call 1-800-851-3420, and follow the prompts.

o CD-ROM and Online Access to the Abstracts Database. Users with
CD-ROM capability can also obtain the NCJRS Abstracts Database on
CD-ROM. This disc features citations and abstracts of more than 140,000
criminal justice books, research reports, journal articles, government
documents, program descriptions, program evaluations, and training manuals
contained in the NCJRS Research and Information Center library collection.
The disc also contains search software that supports retrieval, using any
combination of words to search individual fields or all fields globally. The disc
can be searched using "free text" methods, or in combination with the National
Criminal Justice Thesaurus. In addition, the NCJRS Abstracts Database is
available on the NCJRS Homepage at <http://www.ncjrs.gov/database.htm>.

VICTIM-RELATED INTERNET SITES

Crime victims and victim service providers have witnessed a remarkable growth
in the amount of information available to them, through the continued
development of the Internet--especially the World Wide Web. Now,
victim-serving agencies and advocacy organizations have the ability to reach
around the corner or around the world with information about new issues,
services, and promising practices designed to improve the welfare of victims of
all types of crime. In an effort to present the most comprehensive and timely
information available through this vast medium, the Office for Victims of Crime
has substantially revised its World Wide Web homepage. OVC encourages
crime victims and victim service providers alike to visit this comprehensive
resource, located at <http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/>.

Many other agencies and organizations are now providing victim-related
information through the World Wide Web. The following is a list of sites on the
Web that contain information on selected crime victimization topics. Please note
that this list is intended only to provide a sample of available resources, and
does not constitute an endorsement of opinions, resources, or statements made
therein.

o Federal Agencies/Resources

Bureau of Justice Assistance--http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA

Bureau of Justice Statistics--http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/

Center for Substance Abuse Prevention--http://www.samhsa.gov/csap

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment--http://www.samhsa.gov/csat

Centers for Disease Control--http://www.cdc.gov

Community-Oriented Police Office (COPS)--http://www.usdoj.gov/cops/

FBI Uniform Crime Reports-Statistical Data--http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/crime/

Federal Judicial Center--http://www.fjc.gov/

GovBot Database of Government Web sites--
http://ciir.cs.umass.edu/ciirdemo/Govbot/index1.html

Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention--
http://www.edc.org/hec/

National Archive of Criminal Justice Data--
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/NACJD/home.html

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information--
http://www.health.org/

National Domestic Violence Hotline--http://www.ojp.gov/vawo/newhotline.htm

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration--http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov

NCJRS Justice Information Center--http://www.ncjrs.gov

National Institute of Corrections--http://www.nicic.org/

National Institute of Justice--http://www.ncjrs.gov/nijhome.htm

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism--http://www.niaaa.nih.gov

National Institute on Drug Abuse--http://www.drugabuse.gov


National Maternal and Child Health Clearinghouse--http://www.nmchc.org

Nonprofit Gateway--http://www.nonprofit.gov

Office of Justice Programs--http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov

Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention--
http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.gov

Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)--http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/

Office of National Drug Control Policy Information Clearinghouse--
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov

THOMAS: Federal Legislation--http://thomas.loc.gov

U.S. Department of Education Campus Security and Safety--
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/index.html

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Grantsnet--
http://www.os.dhhs.gov/progorg/grantsnet/index.html

U.S. Department of Justice--http://www.usdoj.gov

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center on PTSD--
http://www.ncptsd.org

U.S. Parole Commission--http://www.usdoj.gov/uspc/parole.htm

U.S. Supreme Court--http://www.supremecourtus.gov

Violence Against Women Office--http://www.ojp.gov/vawo/

o National Victim-related Organizations

American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law--
http://www.abanet.org/child/

American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children--
http://www.apsac.org/

Anti-Defamation League--http://www.adl.org/hate-patrol/main.html


Child Abuse Prevention Association--http://www.capa.org

Child Abuse Prevention Network--http://child.cornell.edu

Childhelp USA--http://www.childhelpusa.org

Child Quest International--http://www.childquest.org/

Child Welfare League of America--http://www.cwla.org

Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS)--http://www.nationalcops.org

Family Violence Prevention Fund--http://www.fvpf.org/

Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community--
http://www.dvinstitute.org 

Mothers Against Drunk Driving--http://www.madd.org

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children--http://www.missingkids.org

National Center for Victims of Crime--http://www.ncvc.org

National Center on Elder Abuse--http://www.gwjapan.com/NCEA/

National Children's Alliance--http://www.nncac.org

National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information--
http://www.calib.com/nccanch

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence--http://www.ncadv.org

National Coalition of Homicide Survivors--http://www.mivictims.org

National Commission Against Drunk Driving--http://www.ncadd.com

National Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Association--
http://www.nationalcasa.org/

National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center--
http://www.musc.edu/cvc/

National Fraud Information Center--http://www.fraud.org

National Insurance Crime Bureau--http://www.nicb.org

National Organization for Victim Assistance--http://www.try-nova.org

National Sexual Violence Research Center--http://www.nsvrc.org

National Victim Assistance Academy (OVC)--
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/assist/vaa.htm

National Victim Assistance Academy (VALOR)--http://www.nvaa.org

National Victims Constitutional Amendment Network--http://www.nvcan.org

National Violence Against Women Prevention Research Center--
http://www.violenceagainstwomen.org

Neighbors Who Care--http://www.neighborswhocare.org

Parents of Murdered Children (POMC)--http://www.pomc.com

Safe Campuses Now--http://www.uga.edu/~safe-campus/

Security on Campus--http://www.campussafety.org/

Victims' Assistance Legal Organization (VALOR)--
http://www.valor-national.org

o National Criminal and Juvenile Justice- and Public Policy-related
Associations

American Correctional Association--http://www.corrections.com/aca

American Correctional Health Services Association--
http://www.corrections.com/achsa/

American Jail Association--http://www.corrections.com/aja

American Probation and Parole Association--http://www.appa-net.org

American Prosecutors Research Institute--http://www.ndaa-apri.org

Association of State Correctional Administrators--http://www.asca.net

Balanced and Restorative Justice Project--http://ssw.che.umn.edu/rjp

Center for Juvenile and Criminal Justice--http://www.cjcj.org

Center for Restorative Justice & Peacemaking--
http://ssw.che.umn.edu/rjp/default.html

Center for Sex Offender Management--http://www.csom.org

Community Anti-drug Coalitions of America--http://www.cadca.org

Community Justice Exchange--http://www.communityjustice.org

Community Policing Consortium--http://www.communitypolicing.org

Correctional Education Association--http://metalab.unc.edu/icea

Council of State Governments--http://www.csg.org

Institute for Law and Justice--http://www.ilj.org

International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators--
http://www.iaclea.org/

International Association of Chiefs of Police--http://www.theiacp.org

Join Together to Reduce Substance Abuse--http://www.jointogether.org

Justice Policy Institute--http://www.cjcj.org/jpi

National Association for Community Mediation--http://www.nafcm.org/

National Association of Attorneys General--http://www.naag.org

National Association of Counties (NACo)--http://www.naco.org

National Association of Drug Court Professionals--http://www.nadcp.org

National Association of Police Organizations--http://www.napo.org

National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse--
http://www.casacolumbia.org

National Center for State Courts--http://www.ncsc.dni.us

National Conference of State Legislatures--http://www.ncsl.org

National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics--
http://www.search.org

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges--
http://www.ncjfcj.unr.edu/

National Criminal Justice Association--http://www.sso.org/ncja/index.htm

National District Attorneys Association--http://www.ndaa.org

National Governors Association--http://www.nga.org/

National Indian Justice Center--http://www.nijc.indian.com/

National Institute for Dispute Resolution--http://www.crenet.org/

National Judicial College--http://www.judges.org

National Juvenile Detention Association--
http://www.corrections.com/njda/top.html

National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center--
http://www.nlectc.org

National League of Cities--http://www.nlc.org

National Network of Violence Prevention Practitioners--
http://www.edc.org/HHD/NNVPP/index.html

National Organization for Black Law Enforcement--http://www.noblentnl.org

National Sheriffs' Association--http://www.sheriffs.org/

Office of Correctional Education--http://www.ed.gov/offices/OVAE/OCE/

Police Executive Research Forum--http://www.policeforum.org

Police Foundation--http://www.policefoundation.org

Restorative Justice Project--http://www.fresno.edu/dept/pacs/rjp.html

Southern Poverty Law Center--http://splcenter.org

State Justice Institute--http://www.statejustice.org

Victim Offender Mediation Association--http://www.voma.org/

o State-level VOCA Victim Assistance Agencies & Crime Victim
Compensation Programs

Alabama--http://www.agencies.state.al.us/crimevictims/

Alaska--http://www.dps.state.ak.us/vccb/htm/

Arizona--http://www.dps.state.az.us/voca/

Arkansas--http://www.ag.state.ar.us/

California--http://www.boc.cahwnet.gov/victims.htm

Colorado--http://cdpsweb.state.co.us/ovp/ovp.htm

Connecticut--http://www.jud.state.ct.us/

Delaware--http://www.state.de.us/cjc/index.html

Florida--http://legal.firn.edu/victims/index.html

Georgia--http://www.ganet.org/cjcc

Hawaii--http://www.cpja.ag.state.hi.us

Idaho--http://www2.state.id.us/iic/index.htm

Illinois--http://www.ag.state.il.us/

Indiana--http://www.state.in.us/cji/

Iowa--http://www.state.ia.us/government/ag/cva.html

Kansas--http://www.ink.org/public/ksag/contents/crime/cvcbrochure.htm

Louisiana--http://www.cole.state.la.us/cvr.htm

Maine--http://www.state.me.us/ag/victim.htm

Maryland--http://www.dpscs.state.md.us/cicb/

Mississippi--http://www.dfa.state.ms.us/

Missouri--http://www.dolir.state.mo.us/wc/dolir6f.htm

Montana--http://www.doj.state.mt.us/whoweare.htm

Nebraska--http://www.nol.org/home/crimecom/

New Hampshire--http://www.state.nh.us/nhdoj/index.html

New Jersey--http://www.state.nj.us/victims/

New Mexico--http://www.state.nm.us/cvrc/

New York--http://www.cvb.state.ny.us/

North Carolina--http://www.nccrimecontrol.org/vjs/

Ohio--http://www.ag.ohio.gov/crimevic/cvout.htm

Oklahoma--http://www.dac.state.ok.us/

Oregon--http://www.doj.state.or.us/CrimeV/welcome1.htm

Pennsylvania--http://www.pccd.state.pa.us/

Rhode Island--http://www.state.ri.us/treas/vcfund.htm

South Carolina--http://www.state.sc.us/governor/

South Dakota--http://www.state.sd.us/social/cvc/

Tennessee--http://www.treasury.state.tn.us/injury.htm

Texas--http://www.oag.state.tx.us/victims/victims.htm


Utah--http://www.crimevictim.state.ut.us/

Vermont--http://www.ccvs.state.vt.us/

Virginia--http://www.dcjs.state.va.us/victims/index.htm

Washington--http://www.wa.gov/lni/workcomp/cvc.htm

West Virginia--http://www.legis.state.wv.us/coc/victims/main.html

Wisconsin--http://www.doj.state.wi.us/cvs/cvc.htm

Wyoming--http://www.state.wy.us/~ag/victims/index.html

o Federal and State Corrections

Federal Bureau of Prisons--http://www.bop.gov

Alaska Department of Correction--http://www.correct.state.ak.us/

Alabama Department of Corrections--http://www.agencies.state.al.us/doc/

Arizona Department of Correction--http://www.adc.state.az.us:81/

Arkansas Department of Correction--http://www.state.ar.us/doc/

California Department of Correction--http://www.cdc.state.ca.us/

Colorado Department of Correction--http://www.doc.state.co.us/index.html

Connecticut Department of Correction--http://www.state.ct.us/doc/

Delaware Department of Corrections--http://www.state.de.us/correct

Florida Department of Correction--http://www.dc.state.fl.us/

Georgia Department of Correction--http://www.dcor.state.ga.us/

Hawaii Department of Public Safety--http://www.hawaii.gov/icsd/psd/psd.html

Idaho Department of Correction--http://www.corr.state.id.us/

Illinois Department of Correction--http://www.idoc.state.il.us/

Indiana Department of Correction--http://www.ai.org/indcorrection/

Iowa Department of Correction--http://www.doc.state.ia.us/

Kansas Department of Correction--http://www.ink.org/public/kdoc/

Kentucky Justice Cabinet--http://www.jus.state.ky.us/

Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice--
http://www.cole.state.la.us/

Maine Department of Correction--
http://janus.state.me.us/corrections/homepage.htm

Maryland Department of Correction--http://www.dpscs.state.md.us/doc/

Massachusetts Department of Correction--http://www.magnet.state.ma.us/doc/

Michigan Department of Correction--http://www.state.mi.us/mdoc/

Minnesota Department of Corrections--http://www.corr.state.mn.us/

Mississippi Department of Corrections--http://www.mdoc.state.ms.us/

Missouri Department of Corrections--http://www.corrections.state.mo.us/

Montana Department of Corrections--http://www.state.mt.us/cor

Nebraska Department of Correctional Services--
http://www.corrections.state.ne.us/

Nevada Department of Corrections--http://www.state.nv.us/inprog.htm

New Hampshire Department of Corrections--http://www.state.nh.us/doc/

New Jersey State Department of Correction--
http://www.state.nj.us/corrections

New Mexico Department of Correction--http://www.state.nm.us/corrections/

New York State Department of Correctional Services--
http://www.docs.state.ny.us/

New York City Department of Correction--http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/doc/

North Carolina Department of Correction--http://www.doc.state.nc.us/

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction--http://www.drc.state.oh.us/

Oregon Department of Correction--http://www.doc.state.or.us/

Oklahoma Department of Correction--http://www.doc.state.ok.us/

Pennsylvania Department of Correction--http://www.cor.state.pa.us/

Rhode Island Department of Correction--http://www.doc.state.ri.us/

South Carolina Department of Correction--http://www.state.sc.us/scdc/

South Dakota Department of Correction--
http://www.state.sd.us/corrections/corrections.html

Tennessee Department of Correction--http://www.state.tn.us/correction

Texas Department of Correction--http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/

Utah Department of Correction--http://www.cr.ex.state.ut.us/home.htm

Vermont Criminal Justice Services--http://170.222.24.9/cjs/index.html

Virginia Department of Correction--http://www.cns.state.va.us/doc/

Washington State Department of Correction--http://access.wa.gov/

West Virginia Division Of Corrections--
http://www.state.wv.us/wvdoc/default.htm

Wisconsin Department of Correction--http://www.wi-doc.com/

Wyoming Department of Correction--http://doc.state.wy.us/corrections.html

o State Coalitions and Related Resources

Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services--http://www.connsacs.org/


Iowa Organization for Victim Assistance--
http://www.netins.net/showcase/i_weaver/iova/

Michigan Crime Victim Rights--http://www.gop.senate.state.mi.us/cvr/

Missouri Victim Assistance Network--http://mova.missouri.org/

Safe Horizon (New York City region)--http://www.safehorizon.org/

South Carolina Victim Assistance Network--http://www.scvan.org/

Texans for Equal Justice--http://www.tej.lawandorder.com/index.htm

o Other Victim Resources

Action Without Borders - Nonprofit Directory--http://www.idealist.org

Alliance for Justice--http://www.afj.org

American Humane Association--http://www.americanhumane.org

APA - American Psychological Association--http://www.apa.org/

Battered Women's Justice Center--http://www.law.pace.edu/bwjc

Cecil Greek's Criminal Justice Page--http://www.fsu.edu/~crimdo/law.html

Children's Institute International--http://www.childrensinstitute.org/

Communities Against Violence Network (CAVNET)--
http://www.asksam.com/cavnet/

The Compassionate Friends--http://www.compassionatefriends.com/

Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence--http://www.caepv.org/main.htm

Elder Abuse Prevention--http://www.oaktrees.org/elder

International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies--http://www.istss.org/

International Victimology Website--http://www.victimology.nl/

Jewish Women International--http://www.jewishwomen.org/

Justice for All--http://www2.jfa.net/jfa/

Michigan State University Victims and the Media Program--
http://www.victims.jrn.msu.edu 

National Coalition of Homicide Survivors--http://www.mivictims.org/nchs/

National Mental Health Association--http://www.nmha.org 

National Organization on Male Sexual Victimization--
http://www.malesurvivor.org 

National Parent Information Network--http://www.npin.org

Out of the Blue (Domestic Violence in the Jewish Community)--
http://hometown.aol.com/blue10197/index.html

Post Trauma Resources--http://www.posttrauma.com

Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network--http://www.rainn.org/

Rape Recovery Help and Information--
http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/2402/

Safe Campuses Now--http://www.uga.edu/~safe-campus/front.html

Search Yahoo for Victims' Rights--
http://www.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Crime/Victims__Rights/

Sexual Assault Information Page--
http://www.cs.utk.edu/~bartley/saInfoPage.html

The Stalking Victim's Sanctuary--http://www.stalkingvictims.com/

Stephanie Roper Committee and Foundation--http://www.stephanieroper.org

Survivors of Stalking--http://www.soshelp.org 

Victim Assistance Online--http://www.vaonline.org

Violence Policy Center--http://www.vpc.org


Workplace Violence Research Institute--http://www.noworkviolence.com/

o Legal Research/Resources

Findlaw--http://www.findlaw.com/

State Law and Legislative Information--http://www.washlaw.edu/

U.S. Supreme Court Decisions--http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/

o Media

American Journalism Review Newslink--http://www.newslink.org/

Criminal Justice Journalists--http://www.reporters.net/cjj 

News Index--http://newsindex.com

Newspapers Online--http://www.newspapers.com

Public Relations Society of America--http://www.prsa.org

Special thanks is extended to Steve Derene, Program Manger for the Office of
Crime Victim Services at the Wisconsin Department of Justice, and Promising
Strategies and Practices in Using Technology to Benefit Crime Victims,
sponsored by the National Center for Victims of Crime with support from the
Office for Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice, for providing much of
the Web site information included in this section.

2001 NCVRW Resource Guide--Accessing Info, Page 1

----------------------------

NCVRW Resource Guide Co-Sponsors

American Correctional Association, Victims Committee
4380 Forbes Boulevard
Lanham, MD 20706-4332
Phone: 301-918-1800/800-ACA-JOIN
Fax: 301-918-1900
Web site: http://www.corrections.com/aca
Contact: Trudy Gregorie and Chiquita Sipos, Co-chairs


American Probation and Parole Association
c/o The Council of State Governments
P.O. Box 11910
Lexington, KY 40578-1910
Phone: 859-244-8203
Fax: 859-244-8001
Web site: http://www.appa-net.org
Contact: Tracy Godwin, Victim Services Specialist
E-mail: tgodwin@csg.org

California State University-Fresno, Center for Victim Studies
2225 East San Ramon Avenue
Fresno, CA 93740-0104
Phone: 559-278-4021
Fax: 559-278-7265
Contact: Steven D. Walker, Ph.D., Director
E-mail: stevend@csufresno.edu

Center for the Study of Crime Victims' Rights, Remedies, and Resources
University of New Haven
300 Orange Avenue
West Haven, CT 06516
Fax: 203-931-6030
Phone: 203-932-7041
Contact: Mario Thomas Gaboury, J.D., Ph.D., Director
E-mail: mgaboury@charger.newhaven.edu

Childhelp USA/Virginia
311 Park Avenue  
Falls Church, VA 22046     
Phone: 703-241-9100
Fax: 703-241-9105
Web site: http://www.childhelpva.org
Contact: Iris Beckwith, Director, Abuse Prevention Programs

National Headquarters:    
Childhelp USA 
15757 North 78th Street      
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Phone: 480-922-8212
TDD: 800-2-A-CHILD
Hotline: 800-4-A-CHILD
Fax: 480-922-7061
Web site: http://www.childhelpusa.org
Contact: Chuck Bolte, Executive Director  

Concerns of Police Survivors   
P.O. Box 3199 - S. Highway 5   
Camdenton, MO 65020    
Phone: 573-346-4911
Fax: 573-346-1414
Web site: http://www.nationalcops.org
Contact: Suzanne F. Sawyer, Executive Director  
E-mail: cops@nationalcops.org

Family Violence Prevention Fund  
383 Rhode Island Street, Suite 304   
San Francisco, CA 94103-5133    
Phone: 415-252-8900/800-End-Abuse
Fax: 415-252-8991
Web site: http://www.fvpf.org
Contact: Michelle Kipper     
E-mail: fund@fvpf.org

Public policy office:
1522 K Street NW, Suite 550    
Washington, DC 20005    
Phone: 202-682-1212
Fax: 202-682-4662
Contact: Kiersten Stewart, Director of Public Policy  
E-mail: kiersten@fvpf.org
Donna Norton, Director of National Workplace 
Resource Center on Domestic Violence  
donna@fvpf.org

Mothers Against Drunk Driving
511 E. John Carpenter Freeway., Suite 700  
Irving, TX 75062-8187    
Phone: 800-438-MADD
Fax: 214-869-2206/2207
Web site: http://www.madd.org
Contact: Stephanie Frogge, National Director  
Victim Services

National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards
P.O. Box 16003
Alexandria, VA 22302
Phone/Fax: 703-370-2996
Contact: Dan Eddy, Executive Director

National Center on Elder Abuse  
1225 I Street NW, Suite 725    
Washington, DC 20005     
Phone: 202-898-2586
Fax: 202-898-2583
Web site: http://www.gwjapan.com/NCEA
Contact: Sara Aravanis, Director    
E-mail: ncea@nasua.org

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
Charles B. Wang International Children's Building 
699 Prince Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-3175    
Phone: 703-274-3900/800-843-5678
TDD: 800-826-7653 (Hotline)
Fax: 703-274-2220
Web site: http://www.missingkids.com
Contact: Sherry Bailey

National Center for Victims of Crime
2111 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 300    
Arlington, VA 22201 Fax: 703-276-2889
Phone: 703-276-2880/800-FYI-CALL
Web site: http://www.ncvc.org
Contact: Susan Herman, Executive Director  

National Children's Alliance
1319 F Street NW, Suite 1001    
Washington, DC 20004    
Phone: 202-639-0597/800-239-9950
Fax: 202-639-0511
Web site: http://www.nncac.org

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
P.O. Box 18749
Denver, CO 80218 
Phone: 303-839-1852
Fax: 303-831-9251
Web site: http://www.ncadv.org
Contact: Rita Smith, Executive Director  

For legislative information:
119 Constitution Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20002    
Phone: 202-544-7358
Fax: 202-544-7893
Contact: Juley Fulcher

National Crime Prevention Council  
1000 Connecticut Avenue NW, 13th Floor  
Washington, DC 20036     
Phone: 202-466-6272
Fax: 202-296-1356
Web site: http://www.ncpc.org

National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center
Medical University of South Carolina
165 Cannon Street
Charleston, SC 29425-0742    
Phone: 843-792-2945 
Fax: 843-792-3388
Web site: http://www.musc.edu/cvc/ 
Contact: Dean G. Kilpatrick, Ph.D., Director

National District Attorneys Association
99 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 510   
Alexandria, VA 22314-1588    
Phone: 703-549-9222
Fax: 703-836-3195
Web site: http://www.ndaa-apri.org
Contact: Newman Flanagan, Director   

National Organization for Victim Assistance
1757 Park Road NW
Washington, DC 20010
Phone: 202-232-6682/800-TRY-NOVA    
Fax: 202-462-2255
Web site: http://www.try-nova.org
Contact: Marlene A. Young, Ph.D., J.D., Executive Director

The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence
6400 Flank Drive, Suite 1300    
Harrisburg, PA 17112-2778     
Phone: 800-537-2238
Fax: 717-545-9456
TTY: 800-553-2508
Kathleen Krenek, Director    

National Sexual Violence Resource Center  
123 North Enola Drive
Enola, PA 17025 
Phone: 877-739-3895/717-909-0710
TTY: 717-909-0715
Fax: 717-909-0710
Web site: http://www.nsvrc.org
Contact: Karen Baker, Project Director  

Neighbors Who Care
P.O. Box 16079
Washington, DC 20041     
Phone: 703-904-7311
Fax: 703-478-0452
Web site: http://www.neighborswhocare.org
Contact: Lisa Barnes Lampman   

Parents of Murdered Children
100 East Eighth Street, Suite B-41   
Cincinnati, OH 45202 
Phone: 513-721-5683/888-818-POMC
Fax: 513-345-4489
Web site: http://www.pomc.com
Contact: Nancy Ruhe-Munch, Executive Director 

Police Executive Research Forum
1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 930  
Washington, DC 20036     
Phone: 202-466-7820
Fax: 202-466-7826  
Web site: http://www.PoliceForum.org
Contact: Cliff Karchmer    

The Spiritual Dimension in Victim Services
P.O. Box 821  
Charleston, SC 29402 
Phone: 843-722-0082
Fax: 843-723-8422
Contact: Scott Beard, Executive Director   
E-mail: SBeardPAR@aol.com

Stephanie Roper Committee and Foundation
14750 Main Street, 1B
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772     
Phone: 301-952-0063/877-VICTIM-1
Fax: 301-952-2319
Web site: www.stephanieroper.org
Roberta Roper, Director     
E-mail: srcf@digizen.net

Victims' Assistance Legal Organization (VALOR)
8181 Greensboro Drive, Suite 1070   
McLean, VA 22101-3823     
Phone: 703-748-0811
Fax: 703-356-5085
Web site: http://www.valor-national.org
Contact: Morna A. Murray, J.D., Executive Director 
E-mail: information@valor-national.org

2001 NCVRW Resource Guide Co-Sponsors, Page 1 

----------------------------

Resource Guide Evaluation

Please take a moment to let the Victims' Assistance Legal Organization
(VALOR) and Office for Victims of Crime know if the 2001 National Crime
Victims' Rights Week Resource Guide was useful to you and your organization.
Check the appropriate boxes in the following chart, and also let us know any
ideas you have that could be utilized in the 2002 Resource Guide.

RESOURCE GUIDE COMPONENT

Extremely Helpful/Somewhat Helpful/Not at All Helpful

Statistical Overviews

Accessing Information: OVC Resource Center and Other Services

Sample Proclamation

Sample Press Release

Sample Public Service Announcements

Sample Opinion/Editorial Column

Twenty Tips for Community Outreach

Small Poster

Buttons

Bookmarks

Logos

NCVRW Letterhead

Cover/Title Page

Sample Certificate of Appreciation

National Toll-free Information and Referral Telephone Numbers

Crime Victim Resources Brochure

Crime Victims' Rights in America: An Historical Overview

Victims' Rights Constitutional Amendments

Sample Speech

Notable Quotables

Sample Sermon

Broadcast PSA (sent separately)

Large Poster (sent separately)

Please share your comments and ideas for improving or expanding the National
Crime Victims' Rights Week Resource Guide and attach examples of your
community's activities for 2001 National Crime Victims' Rights Week.

Return this evaluation form to: 

Morna Murray, Executive Director, VALOR
8180 Greensboro Drive, Suite 1070 
McLean, VA 22102
FAX: 703-356-5085
E-mail: information@valor-national.org

Thank you for your assistance in evaluating the 2001 National Crime Victims'
Rights Week Resource Guide!

----------------------------

SAMPLE PROCLAMATION 

----------------------------

Sample Proclamation 

This year, hundreds of state and local officials and agencies will issue
proclamations or resolutions that officially proclaim the week of April 22-28,
2001 to be "(State/local) Crime Victims' Rights Week." This sample
proclamation can be offered to such officials and entities as a foundation upon
which to draft an official proclamation that is specific to each jurisdiction's
needs. Data from the statistical overviews included in this Resource Guide
and/or jurisdiction-specific data can be use-ful for tailoring the sample
proclamation to an individual organization, jurisdiction or state. Victim
advocates should request multiple copies of any proclamations issued that can
be framed for the offices of the many organizations that co-sponsor 2001
NCVRW activities.

----------------------------

Sample Proclamation

Whereas,--America's victims' rights discipline has had a powerful impact in
educating our nation about the devastating effects of crime and victimization,
and the need to provide support and services to individuals and communities
hurt by crime; and

Whereas,--victimization rates in the United States are the lowest recorded since
the inception of the National Crime Victimization Survey in 1973; and

Whereas,--there were still nearly 29 million people in America who were
victimized by crime last year, including [fill in your state's criminal victimization
statistics here]; and

Whereas,--the year 2001 marks the 25th anniversary of the Victim Impact
Statement, which helps our criminal and juvenile justice systems better
understand the psychological, financial, and physical impact of crime on victims,
and hold offenders accountable for their criminal and delinquent actions; and

Whereas,--the voices of our nation's victims have had a powerful effect in
changing laws, policies, and attitudes to promote victims' rights and services,
and encouraging every person in America to take a stand and help crime
victims; and

Whereas,--important partnerships have been formed among criminal and
juvenile justice agencies, allied professionals, victim services, and the private
sector to ensure that crime victims are treated with the dignity and respect they
deserve; and

Whereas,--our nation's commitment to crime victim assistance grows stronger
with each passing year, with over 10,000 system- and community-based
programs in place to provide help and hope to victims of crime; therefore, be it 

Resolved,--that [individual or entity] proclaims the week of April 22 to 28,
2001, to be [city/county/parish/state] Crime Victims' Rights Week, and
celebrates victims' voices as an important chorus for fairness and dignity; and
be it further

Resolved,--that we continue to reach for the stars of justice and compassion for
crime victims as individuals, as communities, and as a nation dedicated to
justice for all; and be it further

Resolved,--that a suitably prepared copy of this proclamation be presented to
[your organization].

2001 NCVRW Resource Guide--Proclamation

----------------------------

WORKING WITH THE MEDIA 


----------------------------

Sample Press Release 

Once victim service providers have completed their plans to commemorate
NCVRW, it is helpful to send a general press release to local print and
broadcast media that highlights key activities they will sponsor. The sample
press release, which includes a national perspective and a quotation from the
Director of the Office for Victims of Crime, can be easily personalized to state
and local jurisdictions. The sample NCVRW letter-head included in the
camera-ready artwork of the Resource Guide can be utilized for the press
release. Usually, local libraries have a reference book listing print and
broadcast media nationwide that can help create a current media mailing list.

Sample Public Service Announcements 

One of the best ways to promote victims' rights and services is through the
broadcasting of public service announcements (PSAs). The three sample PSAs
can be utilized for either radio or television stations. Each PSA should be
personalized to include contact information for local victim services, along with
any relevant data that accurately reflect crime and victimization in the area in
which the PSAs are broadcast. Victim advocates should contact local radio
and television stations at least six weeks prior to NCVRW and ask to speak to
the public service director. S/he can provide guidelines about whether the
station accepts PSAs and the preferred format. While some stations simply
accept PSA scripts that are read by on-air "personalities," others ask that the
scripts be read by a representative from the organization that submits them. Be
sure to understand and follow any guidelines that radio and television stations
provide. 

Sample Opinion/editorial Column 

The opinion/editorial page(s) are the most frequently read section of most
newspapers. The sample opinion/editorial column should be personalized and
expanded to reflect information pertinent to the community in which it will be
published, such as current crime statistics, personal victims' vignettes, and
information about local victim services. The column can also be submitted to
local radio and/or television stations as an actuality, which is a 60-second
statement of opinion that is usually read on air by the author. Victim service
providers should consider submitting the opinion/editorial column or
radio/television actuality from a local NCVRW Planning Committee or
coalition. 


Remember to use the sample NCVRW letterhead for printing the
opinion/editorial column or broadcast actuality!  

----------------------------

Sample Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT: [Name/Title/Agency]

[Date] [A/C-Telephone #]

"Victims' Rights: Reach for the Stars"
America Commemorates the 21st Anniversary of National Crime Victims'
Rights Week

--[City/State]--During the week of April 22 to 28, 2001, crime victims, service
providers, criminal and juvenile justice and allied professionals, and community
volunteers will join together across America to commemorate the 21st
anniversary of National Crime Victims' Rights Week. This year's theme,
"Victims' Rights: Reach for the Stars," emphasizes the continued hope and
aspirations for our nation to treat crime victims with dignity and compassion,
and to provide them with services and support in the often devastating
aftermath of criminal victimization.

--The year 2001 also marks the 25th anniversary of the victim impact
statement, which offers our criminal and juvenile justice systems important
insights into the emotional, physical, and financial effects of crime on its victims.
First implemented in Fresno County, California in 1976, the victim impact
statement has become a vital and valued component of justice processes,
providing the "voice of the victim" to promote greater understanding of victims'
needs and victim trauma.

--For nearly three decades, the victims' rights discipline has strived to place
crime victims' concerns and issues on the forefront of America's public policy
agenda. Over 30,000 laws have been passed at the federal, state, and local
levels that promote victims' rights and services, including constitutional
amendments in 32 states [including yours, if applicable]. And 10,000
organizations exist today in our justice systems and communities that provide
help and hope to victims of crime.

--According to [spokesperson], the quantity and quality of victim services that
exist today are a direct result of countless individuals who have dared to dream
of a society where true justice is possible, and consistent compassion for
victims is a reality in our homes, neighborhoods, communities, and nation.

--"A mere three decades ago, victims were ignored by the justice system and,
for the most part, forgotten by society," [spokesperson] noted. "Today, victims
have a powerful voice not only in the criminal and juvenile justice system, but in
our communities--voices that contribute to crime prevention, offender
accountability, improved services and support for people hurt by crime, and
safer communities as a whole."

--Here in [city/county/state], numerous activities have been planned to
recognize victims of crime and those who serve them during National Crime
Victims' Rights Week. Included are: [cite examples of special events].

--Kathryn Turman, Director of the Office for Victims of Crime within the U.S.
Department of Justice, encourages people across America to join the Justice
Department in saluting the significant achievements of America's crime victims,
service providers, and justice professionals.

--"Because of the work of so many dedicated individuals who have dared to
dream of a nation that respects crime victims, we now have laws on the books
and services throughout the country to support victims' rights and needs,"
Turman said. "National Crime Victims' Rights Week gives us the opportunity to
thank crime victims and those who serve them, and to continue making the
dream of comprehensive victims' rights and services a reality in every
community."

--Members of our community are encouraged to join together during 2001
National Crime Victims' Rights Week and honor those who bring honor to
victims of crime. For additional information about National Crime Victims'
Rights Week, please contact [name], [title], or [agency/organization] at [area
code/telephone number], or visit [name of agency's] Web site at [Web site
address].

END

Type your press release double-spaced on the sample letterhead included in
this Resource Guide. If your press release is more than one page, type "- more
-" in the bottom right corner of the front page, and paper clip the second page
to the first page. Add the title and date of the press release, plus "Page Two", in
the top left corner of the second page.

2001 NCVRW Resource Guide--Press Release, Page 1 

----------------------------

Sample Public Service Announcements

:60 Seconds: April 22 to 28 is National Crime Victims' Rights Week--a time
for our nation to reflect upon the hurt and devastation that violence causes to
individuals and communities; a time to recommit our support and services to
people who have been hurt by crime; and a time to honor crime victims and
those who serve them. This year, crime will touch nearly 29 million people in
America, and the domino effect can be shocking. Crime touches individuals,
neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and communities as a whole; and crime
victims endure physical, emotional, and financial losses that can significantly
alter their lives.

Here in [your community] and across [your state], help and hope are available.
There are many laws that protect victims, provide them with opportunities to
actively participate in our criminal and juvenile justice systems, and hold
offenders accountable for the harm they have caused. If you have been hurt by
crime, we can help; there are rights and services available that can help you
regain control over your life. If you are concerned about violence and its impact
on [your community], now is a good time to get involved. Join us during
National Crime Victims' Rights Week, and throughout the year, in providing
support and services to victims of crime. Join us in making our community a
safer place for us all. Together, we can "reach for the stars" of safety and
justice. For information about victim assistance or volunteer opportunities,
please call [agency] at [area code/telephone number], or visit our Web site at
[Web site address].

:30 Seconds: Male and female, young and old, rural and urban, and every
culture and economic status imaginable. These are the faces of victimization in
America. These are our family members, neighbors, friends, and coworkers
who may be hurt by crime and in need of assistance.

This is National Crime Victims' Rights Week--April 22 to 28. If you or
someone you know is a victim of crime, help and hope are available in [your
community]. There are services to help you understand your rights and feel safe
and supported as you deal with the effects of victimization. And if you want to
make a positive difference in making [your community] safer and helping those
who have been hurt by crime, now is a good time to get involved! Remember,
you can get help or help out. For information about services for crime victims or
volunteer opportunities, please call [agency] at [area code/telephone number],
or visit our Web site at [Web site address].

:15 Seconds: If you are a victim of crime, you have rights and services available
to help you. It's National Crime Victims' Rights Week. This week and
throughout the year, you can call us to get help or give help. Pick up the
phone--you'll be glad you did. Call us at [area code/telephone number) for
more information about crime victim services in [your community].

2001 NCVRW Resource Guide--Public Service Announcements

----------------------------

Sample Opinion/Editorial Column

"Reach for the Stars of Safety and Justice"

For nearly thirty years, countless volunteers and professionals have dedicated
their lives to helping victims of crime and making our communities safer for us
all. It has not been an easy journey, because its "pilots" and "passengers" are
confronted on a daily basis with the human devastation and destruction that
violence wreaks on our society. The road to victim justice has led its travelers
toward creative, collaborative approaches that recognize the domino effect of
crime on individuals, families, and communities, and promote cooperation to
ensure that victims no longer fall through cracks in systems that must be
designed to protect them.

This dynamic history is reflected in the words of Lieutenant General Omar
Bradley, a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Harry Truman:
"We need to learn to set our course by the stars, not by the lights of every
passing ship." For crime victims and those who serve them, the "stars" that have
provided the guiding light for nearly three decades comprise the basic concept
of "victim justice." Shouldn't people whose lives have been devastated by crime
have a voice in seeking justice? Shouldn't our society work diligently to ensure
that victims are treated with respect and provided with rights that keep them
informed and involved in justice processes? And shouldn't our communities be
concerned with holding offenders accountable and providing them with
opportunities to "right the wrongs" they have caused by their criminal and
delinquent actions?

The answer to each of these questions is a resounding "yes!". The course set by
the stars of safety and justice for all is one that recognizes the pain and suffering
of crime victims and validates their value as family members and friends who
are hurt by crime; as important witnesses who can help hold offenders
accountable for their actions; and as community members who are deserving of
support and services.

April 22 to 28 is National Crime Victims' Rights Week, a time to reflect upon
the significant accomplishments of America's victims' rights discipline, and to
pay tribute to the millions of Americans whose lives have been irrevocably
marred by crime. Today in our nation, over 10,000 community- and justice
system-based programs provide services and support to victims of crime. More
than 30,000 laws at the federal, state, and community level help to ensure that
victims can participate in justice processes and that individuals and communities
are safer. 

The year 2001 also marks the 25 year anniversary of the "victim impact
statement"--a powerful tool that allows victims to define the harm they endured
as a result of crime and delinquency and make sure that the justice system and
offenders know about the physical, emotional, and financial losses they have
suffered. The voices of victims tell us of the control and degradation that
confront victims of family violence and sexual assault. They offer insights into
the overwhelming fear that victims of child abuse face, often at the hands of
someone they know and trust. Victims' voices shed powerful light on the
often-hidden crime of elder abuse and neglect that tarnishes the golden years of
far too many elderly people in America. And the voices of victims whose loved
ones have been murdered ensure that someone is speaking up for the rights of
those who can no longer speak themselves.

By reaching for the stars of safety and justice, crime victims and those who
serve them perform a public service of immense proportions. They take care of
individuals and families who are hurting; they work with communities to prevent
crime and promote protective measures that contribute to public safety; and
they work closely with justice professionals and agencies to ensure that crime
victims remain informed and involved throughout our criminal and juvenile
justice systems.

During National Crime Victims' Rights Week and throughout the year, every
person in [community] can join in our crusade for victims' rights, victim services,
and victim justice. Our individual and community safety depends on such
involvement, and our journey toward "justice for all" cannot be completed
without the involvement and commitment of everyone. You can join our many
initiatives that "reach for the stars of safety and justice" and, in doing so, can
make a positive difference in the lives of countless victims who need and
deserve your support.

Provide a two-to-three sentence description of the author's title, agency, and
relevant role at the end of this opinion/editorial column.

2001 NCVRW Resource Guide--OpEd, Page 1 

----------------------------

TWENTY TIPS FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH 

----------------------------

Twenty Tips for Community Outreach 

Twenty creative ideas that tie into this year's theme--"Victims' Rights: Reach
for the Stars"--are offered to stimulate your thinking. These suggestions can be
implemented "as is," or tailored to fit the particular needs or style of your
organization, agency or jurisdiction. It is important to involve as many
individuals and organizations in your community as possible in your National
Crime Victims' Rights Week public awareness activities and commemorative
events. 

Please Note: 
Free Multicolor Public Education Poster: 

The Office for Victims of Crime is pleased to announce that it is offering a
graphically designed, multicolor, 24 x 38 inch poster to enhance your public
education efforts during National Crime Victims' Rights Week and throughout
the year. You will receive the large poster in conjunction with the 2001
Resource Guide. 

To receive a limited number of additional copies of the poster,
please contact the Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center at
800-627-6872. 

Broadcast Public Service Announcement

You will also receive, as a component of the 2001 NCVRW Resource Guide,
a videotape containing a 30-second broadcast-quality public service
announcement (PSA), incorporating the graphic design and themes of this
year's Guide. This PSA can be distributed to national affiliate, public
broadcasting, and/or local television stations for broadcasting prior to
NCVRW. The PSA can also be used as an introductory segment for NCVRW
commemorative activities. 

----------------------------

Twenty Tips for Community Outreach

The following twenty tips are designed to highlight this year's theme--"Victims'
Rights: Reach for the Stars"--and can also commemorate the 25th anniversary
of the victim impact statement. Many of the concepts presented here have been
successfully sponsored in past years by state and local victim service
organizations and coalitions.

Each of these ideas should be tailored to fit the specific needs of the sponsoring
agency, coordinating committee, or community. The ultimate key to success is
to involve as many different individuals and organizations--from the criminal and
juvenile justice systems, victim services, and the community--in planning and
implementing your 2001 National Crime Victims' Rights Week activities.

1. Create a large, wall-size visual of "the universe of the victim" with the heading
"2000 National Crime Victims' Rights Week: Reach for the Stars." On the sun,
print "Reach for the Stars: Victims' Rights and Services for ALL Victims."
Include depictions of planets that are entitled "crime prevention" through "law
enforcement," "prosecution," "courts," "probation," "parole," "corrections," and
"community volunteers." Then fill the "universe" with silver stars that feature the
names of all your jurisdiction's system- and community-based victim service
programs. Display this visual "universe" in a prominent place, such as a
courthouse, police department, or city hall.

2. Contact your county probation department to arrange for juvenile and adult
probationers to cut out large stars out of cardboard or poster board and cover
them with aluminum foil, and glue a plain index card on both sides that says
"2001: Celebrating 25 Years of Victims' Voices." The stars can then be
provided to crime victims to write their thoughts and feelings about their
experiences, or provide a written memorial to a loved one. Then, display the
stars on a wall, or hang them on a tree as a backdrop for 2000 NCVRW
commemorative events.

3. Sponsor a poster and essay contest for elementary and middle school
students, and challenge participants to "reach for the stars of safety in our
homes, schools, and communities." Create a panel of judges consisting of
victims, criminal and juvenile justice professionals, elected officials and civic
leaders, and victim advocates. Display the artwork and essays at 2001
NCVRW commemorative events; seek donations of children's books and toys
as prizes, in addition to giving certificates to all participants.

4. Sponsor a contest for your staff and volunteers to come up with the best,
most creative desk decorations and design that incorporate the "Victims' Rights:
Reach for the Stars" theme of 2001 NCVRW. Provide a box of star-related
supplies (that can be purchased at reasonable prices at most floral/craft and
"dollar stores"). Then seek permission to transfer the desk design/decorations
to desks or counters at highly visible locations, such as the front counter of
police or sheriffs departments or the reception areas of courts or probation
agencies, for the duration of NCVRW.

5. April 2001 is also National Volunteer Recognition Month. Honor your
program's volunteers by producing a banner with the heading, "Everybody is a
Star at [name of agency]. Thanks to Our Volunteers in Victim Services." Take
photos of your volunteers and display each on a star on the banner.

6. Think of creative ways to involve juvenile offenders in restorative community
service initiatives to support 2000 NCVRW. For example, in Denver in 1999,
juvenile offenders provided community service hours to put up NCVRW public
awareness posters across the city and, at the same time, fulfilled their
accountability agreements and learned the importance of publicizing the rights
and needs of crime victims. In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, youthful offenders
prepared beautiful "dream catchers" that were given to homicide family
survivors at the annual candlelight vigil, in keeping with the 1999 theme "Dare to
Dream"; this creative approach can be utilized with this year's theme, "Victims'
Rights: Reach for the Stars," as well.

7. Engage community service projects that publicize NCVRW by arranging for
probationers to cut 8-inch swatches of blue and silver ribbons. Make copies of
the "ribbon card" included in the camera-ready artwork in this Resource Guide,
so the double ribbons can be pinned to the card (using two-inch stickpins that
can be purchased at most floral/crafts stores). Then, widely distribute the
ribbons prior to and during NCVRW, engaging local businesses and public
venues to hang the theme poster (also included in this Guide) and place a
basket of ribbons in a prominent display area. 

8. Challenge allied justice professionals to engage their staff in all your
observances of NCVRW, and to document and notate their participation. For
example, in 1999 the Georgia Department of Corrections submitted a summary
of over 30 activities in which probation officers had participated during
NCVRW, including proclamation ceremonies, public information fairs,
candlelight vigils and walk-a-thons, and distributing press releases and public
service announcements publicizing NCVRW from a community corrections
angle.

9. Encourage allied justice professionals to create their own NCVRW
"mini-Resource Guides" that are specific to their staff, utilizing the materials
included in this Resource Guide. For example, the Directors of the Louisiana
Department of Public Safety and Corrections and the California Youth
Authority send out selected resource materials--including the theme posters,
statistical overviews, media materials, and toll-free telephone numbers for
information and referrals--to agency work sites, with a cover memorandum that
includes suggestions on how to utilize them for NCVRW commemorative
activities, as well as suggestions for how to utilize these resources throughout
the year.

10. Seek opportunities for training and cross-training, involving allied
professionals and community members. For example, in 1999 the state of
Texas provided victim compensation training for adult protective services
professionals and child protective services, and the Department of Corrections
rolled out its posters for its new trauma response team for workplace violence
and staff victimization.

11. Consider creative ways to engage and involve allied justice professionals
and community members in your NCVRW activities. In 1999, the South
Carolina Department of Corrections co-sponsored the statewide victim
assistance conference and provided two-way radios for conference organizers,
flower arrangements for banquet tables, and potted plants from its Horticulture
Program that were auctioned at the fundraiser.

12. Consider presenting "niche" workshops on victimization topics that offer
new ideas and perspectives to audiences that are not always considered
"traditional" victim assistance venues. For example, the Executive Director of
Aid for Victims of Crime in St. Louis, Missouri--one of the nation's three oldest
victim assistance organizations--conducted a session for small businesses and
security companies concerned about crime entitled "Humpty Dumpty 101:
Putting the Pieces Back Together." The session focused on the unexpected
roles that business managers have--beyond their policy requirements and
liability issues--to provide a leadership role when crime and violence strike in
the workplace.

13. Utilize the camera-ready artwork provided in this Resource Guide to create
a "calendar of events" for your community, jurisdiction, or state. In 1999,
Washington County, Oregon published an attractive one-page flyer that
included:

o Dates of special events.
o Title of the event.
o Brief description of the activity.
o Location.
o Key presenters.
o Notation that all events are "free and open to the public."

On the reverse side, Washington County printed event locations and "contacts
for more information."

14. Ask criminal and juvenile justice and correctional agencies to sponsor a
"moment of silence" to pay tribute to victims of crime and those who serve
them. This idea was submitted from Sacramento, California which, in 1999,
sponsored this tribute and, at the same time, presented a check for almost
$4000 raised in a silent auction to the Sacramento County Law Enforcement
Chaplaincy Group that provides "first response" to victims of crime.

15. Ask a local printer to reproduce copies of the bookmark artwork included
in this Guide (make sure you personalize the original first with contact
information for your agency). Distribute stacks of bookmarks to libraries,
bookstores, universities, and schools in your community by Friday, April 20.

16. In 1999, the Connecticut Office of Victims Services utilized the
camera-ready artwork in the Resource Guide to print attractive posters that
publicized its programs and services, and included a "tear off pad" with a listing
of its services and its toll-free telephone numbers. This creative approach offers
a permanent poster that publicizes victims' rights and services, along with a
simple method for crime victims and concerned citizens to take a handy
reference sheet with vital information for victim assistance.

17. In 1999, the Multnomah County (Oregon) Department of Community
Justice and its Victim Services Program sponsored a series of open houses.
The Department advertised this special event in local newspapers, and sent out
invitations to crime victims and service providers in its database.

18. Lapel buttons commemorating NCVRW in Ohio were designed and
produced by inmates of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
In addition, the Department published a book of poetry written by victims and
survivors, as well as a calendar that depicts the Department's vision and
programs for restorative justice that addresses the interests and needs of crime
victims, offenders, and the community. Both of these creative ideas lend a visual
voice to victims and communities hurt by crime, and offer offenders the
opportunity to perform community service that helps crime victims and those
who serve them.

19. Utilize the camera-ready artwork in this Resource Guide to create bulletin
boards, bumper stickers, bookmarks, grocery bags, and other visual depictions
of how victims and those who serve them "reach for the stars" of safety and
justice. Ask local printers or correctional work programs to donate printing
services.

20. Solicit a meeting with your local newspaper's editorial board, focusing on
how victims' rights and services have made your community a safer and better
place to live. Ask victims who have had a positive influence on public policy or
community safety to accompany you. Provide editorial board members with this
year's theme, along with supportive resources from this year's Resource Guide,
and encourage them to write an editorial about the importance of victims' rights
and services, and the contributions they have made to your community.

2001 NCVRW Resource Guide--Tips, Page 1 

----------------------------

CAMERA READY ARTWORK

Camera Ready Artwork

Perhaps the most replicated component of the NCVRW Resource Guide is the
camera-ready artwork. The artwork can be utilized in many ways during
NCVRW and throughout the year. Various pieces can be used as "stand
alone" documents or incorporated into publications such as brochures, annual
reports, and fact sheets. They can also be copied onto overhead transparencies
for use in training programs. The 2001 Resource Guide cameraready artwork
reflects the theme of NCVRW, along with other salient issues relevant to crime
and victimization. When appropriate, the artwork can be personalized with
local victim service providers' contact information. Local printers and/or
correctional agencies may be willing to donate printing services and/or paper,
or provide these services at a reduced cost. 

The ten categories of artwork include: Public Awareness Poster, Buttons,
Bookmarks, Logos, Bumper Sticker, NCVRW Letterhead, Cover/Title Page,
Certificate of Appreciation, Crime Victim Resources Brochure & National
Toll-free Information and Referral Telephone Numbers. 

o An 11 x 17 inch poster, presenting the NCVRW theme, is included in the
Resource Guide. The poster can be enlarged and/or reduced for use in
newsletters, brochures, and even as billboards. Victim service providers should
insert their organization's contact information prior to duplicating the poster
artwork. 

o The artwork for buttons can be printed in one or more colors to add
dimension to the message. 

o Each of the bookmarks should be printed on two sides, and print best on
paper that is at least 80 pound stock. 

o Sample letterhead and logos can be used to encourage coalitions and/or
NCVRW planning committees to show a united effort under one banner: 2001
National Crime Victims' Rights Week. Victim service providers may wish to
incorporate a listing of NCVRW Planning Committee members onto the
letterhead prior to reproducing it. Logos can be used on brochures, programs,
invitations, centerpieces, etc. Also, color can be easily incorporated to add
more depth to the designs. 

o A bumper sticker is included for reproduction and distribution to local
constituencies. 

o Also included is a cover or title page for your Victims' Rights Week material.
Space has been left so you can incorporate the logo or name of your
agency/organization. 

o A certificate of appreciation is included in the Resource Guide, honoring
victim service providers and others for their contributions to victim assistance.
The certificate can be reproduced on attractive card stock, with the recipient's
name written in calligraphy. Spaces are provided for the date of the award and
the signature of the Director of the organization giving the award. You may also
wish to modify the certificate to honor volunteers who assist crime victims and
advocates, tying the event into National Volunteer Week, which will also be
commemorated during the week of April 22-28, 2001. 

o The list of national toll-free information and referral telephone numbers can be
reprinted as a "stand alone" document or incorporated into other victim service
organizations' publications. This list can also be utilized for training and technical
assistance, especially for criminal and juvenile justice and allied professionals
who are in need of good referral programs for the victims with whom they have
contact. 

o A crime victim resources brochure is provided as a double-sided, camera-
ready, tri-fold brochure. It includes basic information about victims' rights and
services nation-wide, as well as a listing of national referral numbers. Space is
provided for local contact information. 


----------------------------

The artwork for the 11 x 17 poster, buttons, bookmarks, letterhead and logos,
bumper sticker, certificate of appreciation, list of national toll-free information
and referral telephone numbers, and crime victim resources brochure are not
included in this ASCII plain-text file. To view this document in its entirety,
download the Adobe Acrobat graphic file available from this Web site or order
a print copy from Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center at
800-627-6872.

----------------------------

LANDMARKS IN VICTIMS ' RIGHTS AND SERVICES 

----------------------------

Crime Victims' Rights in America: An Historical Overview 

The incredible accomplishments, struggles and victories of the past three
decades of America's victims' rights discipline are incorporated into this
impressive document, which was originally contributed to the Resource Guide
by the National Center for Victims of Crime (formerly the National Victim
Center). These landmark achievements are highlighted in Crime Victims' Rights
in America: An Historical Overview, which can be reproduced as a document
on its own, or incorporated into speeches, brochures and other public
out-reach activities sponsored during NCVRW and throughout the year. 

Victims' Rights Constitutional Amendments 

The Victims' Rights Constitutional Amendments materials contain a brief history
of efforts to enact federal and state crime victims' rights constitutional
amendments, along with a summary of states that have amended their
constitutions to guarantee an array of rights for victims. 

----------------------------

Crime Victims' Rights in America: An Historical Overview

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change
the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."  Margaret Mead

1965


o The first crime victim compensation program is established in California.

o By 1970, five additional compensation programs are created--New York,
Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland and the Virgin Islands.

1972

o The first three victim assistance programs are created:

--Aid for Victims of Crime in St. Louis, Missouri.
--Bay Area Women Against Rape in San Francisco, California.
--Rape Crisis Center in Washington, D.C.

1974

o The Federal Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) funds the
first victim/witness programs in the Brooklyn and Milwaukee District Attorneys'
offices, plus seven others through a grant to the National District Attorneys
Association, to create model programs of assistance for victims, encourage
victim cooperation, and improve prosecution.

o The first law enforcement-based victim assistance programs are established in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Indianapolis, Indiana.

o The U.S. Congress passes the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
which establishes The National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect
(NCCAN). The new Center creates an information clearinghouse, provides
technical assistance and model programs.

1975

o The first "Victims' Rights Week" is organized by the Philadelphia District
Attorney.

o Citizen activists from across the country unite to expand victim services and
increase recognition of victims' rights through the formation of the National
Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA).

1976

o The National Organization for Women forms a task force to examine the
problem of battering. It demands research into the problem, along with money
for battered women's shelters.

o Nebraska becomes the first state to abolish the marital rape exemption.

o The first national conference on battered women is sponsored by the
Milwaukee Task Force on Women in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

o In Fresno County, California, Chief Probation Officer James Rowland
creates the first victim impact statement to provide the judiciary with an
objective inventory of victim injuries and losses prior to sentencing.

o Women's Advocates in St. Paul, Minnesota starts the first hotline for battered
women. Women's Advocates and Haven House in Pasadena, California
establish the first shelters for battered women.

1977

o The National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards is
established by the existing 22 compensation programs to promote the creation
of a nationwide network of compensation programs.

o Oregon becomes the first state to enact mandatory arrest in domestic
violence cases.

1978

o The National Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NCASA) is formed to
combat sexual violence and promote services for rape victims.

o The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) is organized as
a voice for the battered women's movement on a national level. NCADV
initiates the introduction of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act in
the U.S. Congress.

o Parents of Murdered Children (POMC), a self-help support group, is
founded in Cincinnati, Ohio.

o Minnesota becomes the first state to allow probable cause (warrantless)
arrest in cases of domestic assault, regardless of whether a protection order
had been issued. 

1979

o Frank G. Carrington, considered by many to be "the father of the victims'
rights movement," founds the Crime Victims' Legal Advocacy Institute, Inc., to
promote the rights of crime victims in the civil and criminal justice systems. The
nonprofit organization was renamed VALOR, the Victims' Assistance Legal
Organization, Inc., in 1981. 

o The Office on Domestic Violence is established in the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, but is later closed in 1981.

o The U.S. Congress fails to enact the Federal Law Enforcement Assistance
Administration (LEAA) and federal funding for victims' programs is phased out.
Many grassroots and "system-based" programs close.

1980

o Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is founded after the death of
13-year-old Cari Lightner, who was killed by a repeat offender drunk driver.
The first two MADD chapters are created in Sacramento, California and
Annapolis, Maryland.

o The U.S. Congress passes the Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act of 1980.

o Wisconsin passes the first "Crime Victims' Bill of Rights."

o The First National Day of Unity in October is established by NCADV to
mourn battered women who have died, celebrate women who have survived
the violence, and honor all who have worked to defeat domestic violence. This
Day becomes Domestic Violence Awareness Week and, in 1987, expands to a
month of awareness activities each October.

o NCADV holds its first national conference in Washington, D.C., which gains
federal recognition of critical issues facing battered women, and sees the birth
of several state coalitions.

o The first Victim Impact Panel is sponsored by Remove Intoxicated Drivers
(RID) in Oswego County, New York.

1981

o Ronald Reagan becomes the first President to proclaim "Crime Victims'
Rights Week" in April.

o The disappearance and murder of missing child Adam Walsh prompt a
national campaign to raise public awareness about child abduction and enact
laws to better protect children.

o The Attorney General's Task Force on Violent Crime recommends that a
separate Task Force be created to consider victims' issues.

1982

o In a Rose Garden ceremony, President Reagan appoints the Task Force on
Victims of Crime, which holds public hearings in six cities across the nation to
create a greatly needed national focus on the needs of crime victims. The Task
Force Final Report offers 68 recommendations that become the framework for
the advancement of new programs and policies. Its final recommendation, to
amend the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to guarantee that ". . . the
victim, in every criminal prosecution, shall have the right to be present and to be
heard at all critical stages of judicial proceedings . . .," becomes a vital source
of new energy pushing toward the successful efforts to secure state
constitutional amendments through the 1980s and beyond.

o The Federal Victim and Witness Protection Act of 1982 brings "fair treatment
standards" to victims and witnesses in the federal criminal justice system.

o California voters overwhelmingly pass Proposition 8, which guarantees
restitution and other statutory reforms to crime victims.

o The passage of the Missing Children's Act of 1982 helps parents guarantee
that identifying information about their missing child is promptly entered into the
FBI National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computer system.

o The first Victim Impact Panel sponsored by MADD, which educates drunk
drivers about the devastating impact of their criminal acts, is organized in
Rutland, Massachusetts.

1983

o The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is created by the U.S. Department of
Justice within the Office of Justice Programs to implement recommendations
from the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime. OVC establishes a
national resource center, trains professionals, and develops model legislation to
protect victims' rights.

o The U.S. Attorney General establishes a Task Force on Family Violence,
which holds six public hearings across the United States.


o The U.S. Attorney General issues guidelines for federal victim and witness
assistance.

o In April, President Reagan honors crime victims in a White House Rose
Garden ceremony.

o The First National Conference of the Judiciary on Victims of Crime is held at
the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, with support from the National
Institute of Justice. Conferees develop recommendations for the judiciary on
victims' rights and services.

o President Reagan proclaims the first National Missing Children's Day in
observance of the disappearance of missing child Etan Patz.

o The International Association of Chiefs of Police Board of Governors adopts
a Crime Victims' Bill of Rights and establishes a victims' rights committee to
bring about renewed emphasis on the needs of crime victims by law
enforcement officials nationwide.

1984

o The passage of the Victims Of Crime Act (VOCA) establishes the Crime
Victims Fund, made up of federal criminal fines, penalties and bond forfeitures,
to support state victim compensation and local victim service programs.

o President Reagan signs the Justice Assistance Act, which establishes a
financial assistance program for state and local government and funds 200 new
victim service programs.

o The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 is enacted, providing
strong incentives to states without "21" laws to raise the minimum age for
drinking, saving thousands of young lives in years to come.

o The first of several international affiliates of MADD is chartered in Canada.

o The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is
created as the national resource agency for missing children. Passage of the
Missing Children's Assistance Act provides a Congressional mandate for the
Center.

o The Spiritual Dimension in Victim Services is founded to involve the faith
community in violence prevention and victim assistance.


o Crime Prevention Week in February is marked by a White House ceremony
with McGruff.

o The Task Force on Family Violence presents its report to the U.S. Attorney
General with recommendations for action, including the criminal justice system's
response to battered women; prevention and awareness; education and
training; and data collection and reporting.

o The U.S. Congress passes the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act,
which earmarks federal funding for programs serving victims of domestic
violence.

o The ad-hoc committee on the constitutional amendment formalizes its plans to
secure passage of amendments at the state level.

o Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS) is organized at the first police
survivors' seminar held in Washington, D.C. by 110 relatives of officers killed in
the line of duty.

o The first National Symposium on Sexual Assault is co-sponsored by the
Office of Justice Programs and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, highlighting
on the federal level the important needs of victims of rape and sexual assault.

o A victim/witness notification system is established within the Federal Bureau
of Prisons.

o The Office for Victims of Crime hosts the first national symposium on child
molestation.

o Victim/witness coordinator positions are established in the U.S. Attorneys'
offices within the U.S. Department of Justice.

o California State University-Fresno initiates the first Victim Services Certificate
Program offered for academic credit by a university.

o Remove Intoxicated Drivers (RID) calls for a comprehensive Sane National
Alcohol Policy (SNAP) to curb aggressive promotions aimed at youth.

o OVC establishes the National Victims Resource Center, now named the
Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center (OVCRC), to serve as a
clearinghouse for OVC publications and other resource information.

1985

o The Federal Crime Victims Fund deposits total $68 million.

o The National Victim Center (renamed The National Center for Victims of
Crime in 1998) is founded in honor of Sunny von Bulow to promote the rights
and needs of crime victims, and to educate Americans about the devastating
effect of crime on our society.

o The United Nations General Assembly passes the International Declaration
on the Rights of Victims of Crime and the Abuse of Power.

o President Reagan announces a Child Safety Partnership with 26 members. Its
mission is to enhance private sector efforts to promote child safety, to clarify
information about child victimization, and to increase public awareness of child
abuse.

o The U.S. Surgeon General issues a report identifying domestic violence as a
major public health problem.

1986

o The Office for Victims of Crime awards the first grants to support state victim
compensation and assistance programs.

o Two years after its passage, the Victims of Crime Act is amended by the
Children's Justice Act to provide funds specifically for the investigation and
prosecution of child abuse.

o Over 100 constitutional amendment supporters meet in Washington, D.C. at
a forum sponsored by NOVA to refine a national plan to secure state
constitutional amendments for victims of crime.

o Rhode Island passes a constitutional amendment granting victims the right to
restitution, to submit victim impact statements, and to be treated with dignity
and respect.

o Victim compensation programs have been established in thirty-five states.

o MADD's "Red Ribbon Campaign" enlists motorists to display a red ribbon on
their automobiles, pledging to drive safe and sober during the holidays. This
national public awareness effort has since become an annual campaign.

1987

o The Victims' Constitutional Amendment Network (VCAN) and Steering
Committee is formed at a meeting hosted by the National Victim Center.

o Security on Campus, Inc. (SOC) is established by Howard and Connie
Clery, following the tragic robbery, rape and murder of their daughter Jeanne at
Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. SOC raises national awareness about the
hidden epidemic of violence on our nation's campuses.

o The American Correctional Association establishes a Task Force on Victims
of Crime.

o NCADV establishes the first national toll-free domestic violence hotline.

o Victim advocates in Florida, frustrated by five years of inaction on a
proposed constitutional amendment by their legislature, begin a petition drive.
Thousands of citizens sign petitions supporting constitutional protection for
victims' rights. The Florida legislature reconsiders, and the constitutional
amendment appears on the 1988 ballot.

1988

o OVC establishes funds for the Victim Assistance in Indian Country (VAIC)
grant program to provide direct services to Native Americans by establishing
"on-reservation" victim assistance programs in Indian Country.

o The National Aging Resource Center on Elder Abuse (NARCEA) is
established in a cooperative agreement among the American Public Welfare
Association, the National Association of State Units on Aging, and the
University of Delaware. Renamed the National Center on Elder Abuse, it
continues to provide information and statistics.

o State v. Ciskie is the first case to allow the use of expert testimony to explain
the behavior and mental state of an adult rape victim. The testimony is used to
show why a victim of repeated physical and sexual assaults by her intimate
partner would not immediately call the police or take action. The jury convicts
the defendant on four counts of rape.

o The Federal Drunk Driving Prevention Act is passed, and states raise the
minimum drinking age to 21.

o Constitutional amendments are introduced in Arizona, California,
Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, South Carolina and Washington. Florida's
amendment is placed on the November ballot, where it passes with 90 percent
of the vote. Michigan's constitutional amendment passes with over 80 percent
of the vote.

o The first "Indian Nations: Justice for Victims of Crime" conference is
sponsored by the Office for Victims of Crime in Rapid City, South Dakota.

o VOCA amendments legislatively establish the Office for Victims of Crime,
elevate the position of Director by making Senate confirmation necessary for
appointment, and induce state compensation programs to cover victims of
domestic violence, homicide and drunk driving. In addition, VOCA
amendments added a new "priority" category of funding victim assistance
programs at the behest of MADD and POMC for "previously underserved
victims of crime."

o OVC also establishes a Federal Emergency Fund for victims in the federal
criminal justice system.

1989

o The legislatures in Texas and Washington pass their respective constitutional
amendments, which are both ratified by voters in November.

o OVC provides funding for the first time to the National Association of Crime
Victim Compensation Boards to expand national training and technical
assistance efforts.

1990

o The Federal Crime Victims Fund deposits total over $146 million.

o The U.S. Congress passes the Hate Crime Statistics Act requiring the U.S.
Attorney General to collect data of incidence of certain crimes motivated by
prejudice based on race, religion, sexual orientation or ethnicity.

o The Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act, requiring institutions
of higher education to disclose murder, rape, robbery and other crimes on
campus, is signed into law by President Bush.

o The Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990, which features reforms to make the
federal criminal justice system less traumatic for child victims and witnesses, is
passed by the U.S. Congress.


o The Victims' Rights and Restitution Act of 1990 incorporates a Bill of Rights
for federal crime victims and codifies services that should be available to victims
of crime.

o U.S. Congress passes legislation proposed by MADD to prevent drunk
drivers and other offenders from filing bankruptcy to avoid paying criminal
restitution or civil fines.

o The Arizona petition drive to place the victims' rights constitutional
amendment on the ballot succeeds, and it is ratified by voters.

o The first National Incidence Study on Missing, Abducted, Runaway and
Throwaway Children in America shows that over one million children fall victim
to abduction annually.

o The National Child Search Assistance Act requires law enforcement to enter
reports of missing children and unidentified persons in the NCIC computer.

1991

o U.S. Representative Ilena Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) files the first Congressional
Joint Resolution to place victims' rights in the U.S. Constitution.

o The Violence Against Women Act of 1991 is considered by the U.S.
Congress.

o California State University-Fresno approves the first Bachelors Degree
Program in Victimology in the nation.

o The Campus Sexual Assault Victims' Bill of Rights Act is introduced in the
U.S. Congress.

o The results of the first national public opinion poll to examine citizens' attitudes
about violence and victimization, America Speaks Out, are released by the
National Victim Center during National Crime Victims' Rights Week.

o The Attorney General's Summit on Law Enforcement and Violent Crime
focuses national attention on victims' rights in the criminal justice system.

o The U.S. Attorney General issues new comprehensive guidelines that
establish procedures for the federal criminal justice system to respond to the
needs of crime victims. The 1991 Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and
Witness Assistance implement new protections of the Crime Control Act of
1990, integrating the requirements of the Federal Crime Victims' Bill of Rights,
the Victims of Child Abuse Act and the Victim and Witness Protection Act of
1982.

o The first national conference that addresses crime victims' rights and needs in
corrections is sponsored by the Office for Victims of Crime in California.

o The first International Conference on Campus Sexual Assault is held in
Orlando, Florida.

o The American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) establishes a
Victim Issues Committee to examine victims' issues and concerns related to
community corrections.

o The International Parental Child Kidnapping Act makes the act of unlawfully
removing a child outside the United States a federal felony.

o The Spiritual Dimension in Victim Services facilitates a conference of leaders
of 13 religious denominations to plan ways in which these large religious bodies
can increase awareness of crime victims' needs and provide appropriate
services.

o The New Jersey legislature passes a victims' rights constitutional amendment,
which is ratified by voters in November.

o Colorado legislators introduce a constitutional amendment on the first day of
National Crime Victims' Rights Week. Fifteen days later, the bill is unanimously
passed by both Houses to be placed on the ballot in 1992.

o In an 8-0 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Simon & Schuster v.
New York Crime Victims Board that New York's notoriety-for- profit statute
was overly broad and, in the final analysis, unconstitutional. Notoriety-for-profit
statutes had been passed by many states at this time to prevent convicted
criminals from profiting from the proceeds of depictions of their crime in the
media or publications. States must now review their existing statutes to come
into compliance with the Supreme Court's decision.

o By the end of 1991, seven states have incorporated victims' rights into their
state constitutions.

o OVC provides funding to the National Victim Center for Civil Legal
Remedies for Crime Victims to train victim advocates nationwide about
additional avenues for victims to seek justice within the civil justice system.

1992

o Rape in America: A Report to the Nation, published during National Crime
Victims' Rights Week by the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment
Center and the National Victim Center, clarifies the scope and devastating
effect of rape in this nation, including the fact that 683,000 women are raped
annually in the United States.

o The Association of Paroling Authorities, International establishes a Victim
Issues Committee to examine victims' needs, rights and services in parole
processes.

o The U.S. Congress reauthorizes the Higher Education Bill which includes the
Campus Sexual Assault Victims' Bill of Rights.

o The Battered Women's Testimony Act, which urges states to accept expert
testimony in criminal cases involving battered women, is passed by Congress
and signed into law by President Bush.

o In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court--in R.A.V. vs. City of St.
Paul--struck down a local hate crimes ordinance in Minnesota.

o Five states--Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Missouri and New Mexico--ratify
constitutional amendments for victims' rights.

o Twenty-eight states pass anti-stalking legislation.

o Massachusetts passes a landmark bill creating a statewide computerized
domestic violence registry and requires judges to check the registry when
handling such cases.

o The first national conference is convened, using OVC funds, that brings
together representatives from VOCA victim assistance and victim
compensation programs.

1993

o Wisconsin ratifies its constitutional amendment for victims' rights, bringing
the total number of states with these amendments to 14.

o President Clinton signs the "Brady Bill" requiring a waiting period for the
purchase of handguns.

o Congress passes the Child Sexual Abuse Registry Act, establishing a national
repository for information on child sex offenders.

o Twenty-two states pass stalking statutes, bringing the total number of states
with anti-stalking laws to 50, plus the District of Columbia.

1994

o The American Correctional Association Victims Committee publishes the
landmark Report and Recommendations on Victims of Juvenile Crime, which
offers guidelines for improving victims' rights and services when the offender is a
juvenile.

o Six additional states pass constitutional amendments for victims' rights--the
largest number ever in a single year--bringing the total number of states with
amendments to 20. States with new amendments include Alabama, Alaska,
Idaho, Maryland, Ohio, and Utah.

o President Clinton signs a comprehensive package of federal victims' rights
legislation as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. The
Act includes:

--Violence Against Women Act, which authorizes more than $1 billion in
funding for programs to combat violence against women.
--Enhanced VOCA funding provisions.
--Establishment of a National Child Sex Offender Registry.
--Enhanced sentences for drunk drivers with child passengers.

o Kentucky becomes the first state to institute automated telephone voice
notification to crime victims of their offender's status and release date.

o OVC establishes the Community Crisis Response (CCR) program, using the
NOVA model, to improve services to victims of violent crimes in communities
that have experienced crimes resulting in multiple victimizations.

1995

o The Federal Crime Victims Fund deposits total $233,907,256.

o Legislatures in three states--Indiana, Nebraska, and North Carolina--pass
constitutional amendments that will be placed on the ballot in 1996.


o The National Victims' Constitutional Amendment Network proposes the first
draft of language for a federal constitutional amendment for victims' rights.

o The U.S. Department of Justice convenes a national conference to encourage
implementation of the Violence Against Women Act.

o The first class graduates from the National Victim Assistance Academy in
Washington, D.C. Supported by the Office for Victims of Crime, the
university-based Academy provides an academically credited 45-hour
curriculum on victimology, victims' rights and myriad other topics.

1996

o Federal Victims' Rights Constitutional Amendments are introduced in both
houses of Congress with bi-partisan support.

o Both presidential candidates and the Attorney General endorse the concept
of a Victims' Rights Constitutional Amendment.

o The Federal Crime Victims Fund reaches an historic high with deposits over
$525 million.

o Eight states ratify the passage of constitutional amendments for victims'
rights-raising the total number of state constitutional amendments to 29
nationwide.

o The Community Notification Act, known as "Megan's Law," provides for
notifying communities of the location of convicted sex offenders by amendment
to the national Child Sexual Abuse Registry legislation.

o President Clinton signs the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act,
providing one million dollars in funding to strengthen antiterrorism efforts,
making restitution mandatory in violent crime cases, and expanding the
compensation and assistance services for victims of terrorism both at home and
abroad, including victims in the military.

o The Office for Victims of Crime uses its new authority under the Antiterrorism
and Effective Death Penalty Act to provide substantial financial assistance to the
victims and survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing.

o The Mandatory Victims' Restitution Act, enacted as Title II of the
Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, allows federal courts to award
"public harm" restitution directly to state VOCA victim assistance programs. As
a result of the new sentencing guidelines, judges can require federal offenders in
certain drug offense cases to pay "community restitution."

o The National Domestic Violence Hotline is established to provide crisis
intervention information and referrals to victims of domestic violence and their
friends and family.

o OVC launches a number of international crime victim initiatives, including
working to foster worldwide implementation of a United Nations declaration on
victims' rights and working to better assist Americans who are victimized
abroad.

o The Church Arson Prevention Act is signed into law in July, in response to
increasing numbers of acts of arson against religious institutions around the
country.

o The Drug-Induced Rape Prevention Act is enacted to address the emerging
issue of the use of sedating drugs by rapists on victims. 

o The Office for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), within
the U.S. Department of Justice, issues the Juvenile Justice Action Plan that
includes recommendations for victims' rights and services for victims of juvenile
offenders within the juvenile justice system.

o President Clinton directs the Attorney General to hold the federal system to a
higher standard of services for crime victims.

1997

o In January, a federal victims' rights constitutional amendment is re-introduced
in the opening days of the 105th Congress with strong bi-partisan support.

o In February, OVC convenes the first National Symposium on Victims of
Federal Crimes. Coordinated by the National Organization for Victim
Assistance, the symposium provides intensive training to nearly 1,000 federal
employees who work with crime victims around the world.

o In March, Congress passes at historic speed the Victims Rights Clarification
Act of 1997 to clarify existing federal law allowing victims to attend a trial and
to appear as "impact witnesses" during the sentencing phase of both capital and
non-capital cases. Supported by the Justice Department, President Clinton
immediately signs the Act, allowing the victims and survivors of the bombing of
the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City to both observe the
trial that is scheduled to begin within days and to provide input later at
sentencing.

o In April, the Senate Judiciary Committee conducts hearings on the proposed
federal constitutional amendment. While not endorsing specific language,
Attorney General Janet Reno testifies in support of federal constitutional rights
for crime victims.

o In June, President Clinton reaffirms his support of federal constitutional rights
for crime victims in a Rose Garden ceremony attended by members of
Congress, criminal justice officials, and local, state, and national victims' rights
organizations. Also that month, the Judiciary Committee in the U.S. House of
Representatives conducts its first hearing on the proposed amendment.

o In July, the Crime Victims Assistance Act is introduced into the U.S. Senate,
offering full-scale reform of federal rules and federal law to establish stronger
rights and protections for victims of federal crime. This legislation further
proposes to assist victims of state crime through the infusion of additional
resources to make the criminal justice system more supportive of crime victims.

o To fully recognize the sovereignty of Indian Nations, OVC for the first time
provides victim assistance grants in Indian Country directly to the tribes.

o A federal anti-stalking law is enacted by Congress.

o The Federal Crime Victims Fund reaches its second highest year in fund
collections with deposits totaling $363 million.

o Due to the large influx of VOCA funds in the previous fiscal year, OVC hosts
a series of regional meetings with state VOCA administrators to encourage
states to develop multi-year funding strategies to help stabilize local program
funding, expand outreach to previously underserved victims, and to support the
development and implementation of technologies to improve victims' rights and
services.

o OVC continues its support of the victims and survivors of the bombing of the
Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City by funding additional
advocates, crisis counseling, and travel expenses to court proceedings for the
bombing victims. When the venue of the trial is changed to Denver, Colorado,
OVC provides funding for a special closed-circuit broadcast to victims and
survivors in Oklahoma City.

o OVC representatives join the United States Delegation to the United Nations
Commission on Criminal Justice and Crime Prevention. OVC plays a
leadership role in the development of an International Victim Assistance
Training Manual to implement the U.N. Declaration of Basic Principles of
Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power.

o The National Victim Center utilizes its extensive legislative database to create
the Legislative Sourcebook, a comprehensive compendium of victims' rights
laws in all states. Developed with support from OVC, the Sourcebook
becomes the definitive digest of state legislation on crime victims' rights laws for
the nation.

o The third National Victim Assistance Academy is held, bringing the total
number of students graduated to over 300 from 48 states.  Supported by OVC
and sponsored by the Victims' Assistance Legal Organization, California State
University-Fresno, and the Medical University of South Carolina, the 45-hour
Academy is conducted simultaneously at four universities across the nation
linked by distance learning technology. 

o A comprehensive national training for VOCA Compensation and Assistance
programs is hosted by the National Association of Crime Victim Compensation
Boards and the National Organization for Victim Assistance with support from
OVC. VOCA representatives from all 50 states and every territory are in
attendance.

o During National Crime Victims Rights Week, OVC officially launches its
homepage <http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/>, providing Internet access to its
comprehensive resources about victims' rights and services.

o New Directions from the Field: Victims Rights and Services for the 21st
Century is completed with support from OVC. It assesses the nation's progress
in meeting the recommendations set forth in the Final Report of the 1982
President's Task Force on Victims of Crime, and issues over 250 new
recommendations from the field for the next millennium.

1998

o Senate Joint Resolution 44, a new version of the federal Victims' Rights
Amendment, is introduced in the Senate by Senators Jon Kyl and Dianne
Feinstein. The Senate Judiciary Committee subsequently approves SJR 44 by
an 11-6 vote. No further action is taken on SJR 44 during the 105th Congress.

o Four new states pass state victims' rights constitutional amendments:
Louisiana by a voter margin of approval of 69 percent; Mississippi by 93
percent; Montana by 71 percent; and Tennessee by 89 percent. Also in 1998,
the Supreme Court of Oregon overturns the Oregon state victims' rights
amendment, originally passed in 1996, citing structural deficiencies.

o The fourth National Victim Assistance Academy (NVAA), sponsored and
funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime, is held
at four university sites around the country, bringing the total number of NVAA
graduates to nearly 700. To date, students from all fifty states, one American
territory, and three foreign countries have attended the Academy. 

o PL 105-244, the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, is passed. Part E
of this legislation, "Grants to Combat Violent Crimes Against Women on
Campus," is authorized through the year 2003, and appropriates a total of $10
million in grant funding to the Violence Against Women Grants Office for fiscal
year 1999. Another primary aim of this legislation is to reduce binge drinking
and illegal alcohol consumption on college campuses.

o The Child Protection and Sexual Predator Punishment Act of 1998 is
enacted, providing for numerous sentencing enhancements and other initiatives
addressing sex crimes against children, including crimes facilitated by the use of
interstate facilities and the Internet.

o The Crime Victims with Disabilities Act of 1998 is passed, representing the
first effort to systematically gather information on the extent of the problem of
victimization of individuals with disabilities. This legislation directs the Attorney
General to conduct a study on crimes against individuals with developmental
disabilities within eighteen months. In addition, the Bureau of Justice Statistics
must include statistics on the nature of crimes against individuals with
developmental disabilities and victim characteristics in its annual National Crime
Victimization Survey by 2000. 

o The Identity Theft and Deterrence Act of 1998 is signed into law in October
1998. This landmark federal legislation outlaws identity theft and directs the
U.S. Sentencing Commission to consider various factors in determining
penalties including the number of victims and the value of to any individual
victim. The Act further authorizes the Federal Trade Commission to log and
acknowledge reports of identity theft, provide information to victims, and refer
complaints to appropriate consumer reporting and law enforcement agencies.

1999

o On January 19, 1999, the Federal Victims' Rights Constitutional Amendment
(Senate Joint Resolution 3, identical to SJR 44) is introduced before the 106th
Congress.

o The Victim Restitution Enforcement Act of 1999 (S. 145), sponsored by
Senator Abraham Spencer and introduced in the Senate Judiciary Committee
on January 19, 1999 is officially titled a Bill to Control Crime by Requiring
Mandatory Victim Restitution. Components of the proposed bill include
establishment of procedures regarding the court's ascertaining of the victim's
losses; requirement that restitution to victims be ordered in the full amount of
their losses without consideration of the defendant's economic circumstances;
and authorization of the court, upon application of the United States, to enter a
restraining order or injunction, require the execution of a satisfactory
performance bond, or take any other action necessary to preserve the
availability of property or assets necessary to satisfy the criminal restitution
order.

o On January 20, 1999, Senator Joseph Biden introduces the Violence Against
Women Act II, a bill that extends and strengthens the original 1994 Violence
Against Women Act. Key provisions of this bill would: (1) strengthen
enforcement of "stay away" orders across state lines; (2) boost spending for
more women's shelters; (3) end insurance discrimination against battered
women; (4) extend the Family and Medical Leave Act to cover court
appearances by battered women; and (5) target the "date rape drug,"
Rohypnol, with maximum federal penalties.

o The fifth National Victim Assistance Academy is held in June 1999 at five
university locations across the United States, bringing the total number of
Academy graduates to nearly 1,000.

2000

o The U.S. Congress passes a new national drunk driving limit of 0.08 blood
alcohol concentration (BAC) with the strong support of Mothers Against Drunk
Driving and other victim advocacy organizations, as well as leading highway
safety, health, medical, law enforcement, and insurance groups. The new law,
which passed with strong bipartisan support, requires the states to pass 0.08
"per se intoxication" laws or lose a portion of their annual federal highway
funding.

o In October 2000, the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 is signed into
law by President Clinton, extending VAWA through 2005, and authorizing
funding at $3.3 billion over the five-year period. Highlights include:

--Authorizes $80 million a year for rape prevention and education grants.
--Expands federal stalking statute to include stalking on the Internet.
--Authorizes $875 million over five years for battered women's shelters.
--Provides $25 million in 2001 for transitional housing programs.
--Provides funding totaling $25 million to address violence against older women
and women with disabilities.

o The Internet Fraud Complaint Center Web site <www.ifccfbi.gov> is created
by the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the
National White Collar Crime Center to combat Internet fraud by giving
consumers nationwide a convenient way to report violations and by centralizing
information about fraud for law enforcement.

o The National Crime Victimization Survey victimization rates in 1999 are the
lowest recorded since the survey's creation in 1973.

o In April 2000, the Federal Victims' Rights Constitutional Amendment (SJR 3)
is addressed for the first time by the full U.S. Senate. On April 27, 2000,
following two-and-a-half days of debate, SJR 3 is withdrawn for further
consideration by its co-sponsors, Senators Kyl (R-AZ) and Feinstein (D-CA),
when it becomes apparent that the measure would not receive a two-thirds
majority vote for approval.

o In June 2000, the Sixth National Victim Assistance Academy is held at five
university sites across the country. A total of 347 students representing 47
states, the District of Columbia, 2 foreign countries, and 3 U.S. Territories
graduates from the 2000 Academy.

o In November 2000, the National Victim Assistance Academy launches its
Advanced Topic Series with an offering of "The Ultimate Educator: Maximizing
Adult Learning Through Training and Instruction" at Georgetown University
Conference Center, Washington, DC.

Compiled by the National Center for Victims of Crime with the support and
assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime,
Victims' Assistance Legal Organization, Inc. (VALOR), and the many national,
state and local victim service providers who offered documentation of their key
victims' rights landmark activities.

2001 NCVRW Resource Guide--History, Page 1 

----------------------------

Victims' Rights Constitutional Amendments

"When someone is a victim, he or she should be at the center of the criminal
justice process, not on the outside looking in. Participation in all forms of
government is the essence of democracy. Victims should be guaranteed the
right to participate in proceedings related to crimes committed against them.
People accused of crimes have explicit constitutional rights. Ordinary citizens
have a constitutional right to participate in criminal trials by serving on a jury.
The press has a constitutional right to attend trials. All of this is as it should be.
It is only the victims of crime who have no constitutional right to participate, and
that is not the way it should be."

President William Jefferson Clinton
Remarks at Announcement of the Victims' Rights Constitutional Amendment,
June 25, 1996

The issue of federal constitutional protection of victims' rights was first raised in
the landmark President's Task Force on Victims of Crime Final Report
published in 1982. Its authors proposed augmenting the Sixth Amendment of
the U.S. Constitution to provide that ". . . the victim, in every criminal
prosecution, shall have the right to be present and to be heard at all critical
stages of judicial proceedings."

Prior to the 1998 elections, a total of twenty-nine states had passed state
victims' rights constitutional amendments. In the Fall of 1998, the voters in four
additional states approved state victims' rights constitutional amendments--
Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, and Tennessee. Also in 1998,
the Oregon Supreme Court overturned that state's victims' rights constitutional
amendment, citing structural deficiencies. Thus, with one loss and four gains, a
total of thirty-three states have amended their constitutions, but a total of
thirty-two states enjoy current constitutional protection for victims, guaranteeing
an array of rights, including notification, participation, protection, and input. A
handful of states applies these constitutional rights to victims of juvenile as well
as adult, offenders.

In April of 1996, and again in the opening session of the new Congress in
January of 1997, a Victims' Rights Constitutional Amendment was introduced
by Senators Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) in the U.S. Senate
and by Henry Hyde (R-IL) in the House of Representatives. In June of 1996,
President Clinton endorsed the concept of a federal constitutional amendment
for crime victims' rights in a special ceremony held at the White House. His
moving words are quoted above.

The Judiciary Committees in the Senate and House of Representatives have
held hearings on the federal constitutional amendment. Attorney General Janet
Reno testified to the need for constitutional rights for crime victims at hearings
held in 1997. 

On April 1, 1998, Senators Jon Kyl and Dianne Feinstein introduced a new
version of the constitutional amendment, Senate Joint Resolution 44. In order to
gain key Senate Judiciary Committee support, this new version of the proposed
federal Victims' Rights Constitutional Amendment incorporates two significant
language changes to the previous version: (1) the amendment is limited to
victims of violent crime; and (2) Section 2 now includes language stating that a
violation of crime victims' rights pursuant to the Amendment gives no grounds to
overturn a sentence or negotiated plea agreement. In July 1998, the Senate
Judiciary Committee voted 11-6 in favor of SJR 44. No further action was
taken on SJR 44 during the 105th Congress.

On January 19, 1999, Senate Joint Resolution 3, identical to SJR 44, was
introduced before the 106th Congress. In April 2000, SJR 3 was addressed
for the first time by the full U.S. Senate. On April 27, 2000, following
two-and-a-half days of debate, SJR 3 was withdrawn for further consideration
by its co-sponsors, Senators Kyl and Feinstein, when it became apparent that
the measure would not receive a two-thirds majority vote for approval.

The proposed federal Victims' Rights Constitutional Amendment continues to
receive strong bipartisan support, as well as support from organizations
representing national, state, and local victim services, law enforcement, criminal
justice, and community and institutional corrections.

For additional information about the federal constitutional amendment, contact
your elected representative. You may also wish to contact:

National Victims' Constitutional Amendment Network
789 Sherman Street, Suite 670
Denver, Colorado 80203
800-529-8226

History of State Victims' Rights Constitutional Amendments

State/Year Passed/Electoral Support--State/Year Passed/Electoral Support

Alabama/1994/80%--Nebraska/1996/78%
Alaska/1994/87%--Nevada/1996/74%
Arizona/1990/58%--New Jersey/1991/85%
California/1982/56%--New Mexico/1992/68%
Colorado/1992/86%--North Carolina/1996/78%
Connecticut/1996/78%--Ohio/1994/77%
Florida/1988/90%--Oklahoma/1996/91%
Idaho/1994/79%--Oregon/1996/59%
Illinois/1992/77--OVERTURNED1998
Indiana/1996/89%--Rhode Island/1986/*
Kansas/1992/84%--South Carolina/1996/89%
Louisiana/1998/69%--Tennessee/1998/89%
Maryland/1994/92%--Texas/1989/73%
Michigan/1992/84%--Utah/1994/68%
Mississippi/1998/93%--Virginia/1996/84%
Missouri/1992/84%--Washington/1989/78%
Montana/1998/71%--Wisconsin/1993/84%

* Passed by Constitutional Convention.

2001 NCVRW Resource Guide--Constitutional Amendments, Page 1 

----------------------------

MAXIMIZING COMMUNICATION AND AWARENESS 

----------------------------

Sample Speech 

The sample speech reflects the 2001 NCVRW theme and offers a broad
national perspective about the current status of victims' rights and services. It
should be personalized to reflect local issues and concerns, as well as to
educate the public about victims' rights and services available in the community
in which the speech is delivered. Potential audiences for NCVRW speeches
include: civic organizations; allied professional groups; schools, colleges and
universities (classes, general assemblies, and student/faculty organizations);
criminal and juvenile justice and victims' rights conferences; and religious
institutions. For more information about federally-funded victim service
pro-grams, you may wish to visit the Office for Victims of Crime home-page on
the Internet at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/. 

Notable Quotables  

This Resource Guide contains a variety of quotations that address the NCVRW
theme and other salient issues relevant to victims' rights and victim justice. The
"notable quotables" can be utilized in speeches, brochures, and all public
outreach publications and activities sponsored during NCVRW and throughout
the year. 

Sample Sermon 

Supporters from the faith community for NCVRW can greatly enhance public
outreach efforts. Many faith leaders are willing to incorporate messages relevant
to victims' rights and services in order to commemorate NCVRW. Victim
service providers should contact religious leaders at least six weeks prior to
NCVRW to determine if they are willing to address crime victims' rights and
needs in their sermons on Sunday, April 22, 2001. 

----------------------------

Sample Speech

It's National Crime Victims' Rights Week, a time for people across America--in
communities large and small, urban and rural--to honor those who have been
hurt by crime, and to celebrate the many successes of the victims' rights
discipline in the United States. It is, indeed, a time for optimism:

o Between 1998 and 1999, violent crime rates declined ten percent (the lowest
level ever recorded in the history of the National Crime Victimization Survey).

o During this same period, property crimes experienced a nine percent decline,
continuing a 20-year decline, 

o And in 1999, the Uniform Crime Index fell for the eighth straight year in a
row, resulting in the lowest level since 1979.

It is a time for optimism built upon a solid record of accomplishment for victims
of crime and those who serve them. As we reflect on the theme of this year's
commemoration--"Victims' Rights: Reach for the Stars"-- we reflect, too, on
the progress that has been made in the past thirty years. Helen Keller once said,
"No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted
land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit." Our field has, for years,
consisted of eternal optimists--activists who wouldn't take "no" for an answer
when victims' rights and dignity were at stake; who believed that victim safety,
information, and involvement could provide a strong foundation for our pursuit
of justice and offender accountability; who thought, as homicide victim
Stephanie Roper said, "One person can make a difference, and every one
should try."


It was not too far in the distant past when "victims' rights" were considered by
many to be an oxymoron. A quarter century ago, most courtroom doors were
shut to victims, their voices unheard, their pleas for information unanswered.
There were no victim assistance programs in the juvenile justice system, and
community-based victim assistance groups struggled to keep their doors open,
operating off of kitchen tables on shoestring budgets. Domestic violence was
considered merely a "family matter." Rape victims were often blamed for the
violence they endured. Crimes against vulnerable populations--children, the
elderly, and persons with disabilities--were seldom discussed. And drunk
driving was not even considered to be a crime. What the pioneers of our field
did was put a face on individual victims, encourage their voices to be heard,
and give reality to the crimes they endured.

The year 2001 marks a special anniversary--25 years since the first victim
impact statement was heard in Fresno County, California. In reflecting on the
impetus of this core victims' right, then-Chief Probation Officer James Rowland
observed that "victims of crime received no services, were isolated from the
justice system, and were seldom provided with any information unless they
were needed as a witness. I also learned that except for law enforcement
officers, criminal justice practitioners--including judges--seldom had an
opportunity to learn about the short- or long-term impact of crime on victims
and their families." Rowland credits the emergence of victim impact statements
to a collaborative effort involving not only his agency, but a judge, public
defender, and faith community representative--an important partnership that
has resulted in "the voice of the victim" being heard in criminal and juvenile
courts, by paroling authorities, and by offenders through the use of victim
impact panels and victim awareness classes.

In reaching for the stars of safety and justice, crime victims and their advocates
have helped not only individuals touched by crime, but entire communities as a
whole. We have provided impetus for greater focus on early interventions and
crime prevention that result in fewer victimizations. We have shed light on the
considerable needs of victims of juvenile offenders in a system that traditionally
excluded them. We have begun to convince communities that they have a
critical stake and important role in justice--that their involvement as volunteers
for victims, as mentors for at-risk youth and juvenile offenders, and as members
of neighborhood safety initiatives can contribute to the safety and well-being of
their homes and neighborhoods.

Yes, crime is down, but for the seven-and-a-half million violent crime victims
and 21 million property crime victims last year, these optimistic statistics don't
mean much. It is their many needs and rights that we must recommit our
individual and collective energies to address. It is their faces we must,
ourselves, face with empathy and understanding. It is their voices we must
amplify with our own, seeking justice for them, and comprehensive, supportive
services to meet their many needs.

Here in [community/state], we continue our efforts to reach for the stars of
safety and justice for victims and all community members. [Here, describe
innovative victim assistance programs, collaborative community initiatives, or
new victims' rights laws that are relevant to your specific audience].

The Spanish poet Jose Marti once said, "People are like the stars; some
generate their own light, while others reflect the brilliance they receive. " Not a
day goes by in [community] without that "light" being generated: by the police
officer who responds sensitively to a battered woman; by prosecutors who
continually object to tactics that "blame the victim;" by the judge who ensures
that the victim's voice is heard before sentencing decisions are made; by
probation officers who consider victims to be their "clients" and for whom
"offender accountability" is not simply rhetoric, but reality. This bright light is
generated also by victim advocates who dedicate their lives to helping those
who are hurt by crime, who themselves endure many sacrifices in order to
better serve victims; and by community members and volunteers who make
justice, and safety their business. The "brilliance" Marti describes is, indeed,
reflected in the lives of crime victims, for whom a helping hand can lead to
healing of the mind, body, and spirit.

This week, we celebrate our accomplishments, ever mindful of the other
fifty-one weeks of the year during which our commitment and resolve remain
vital to victims' rights and services. So as we reach for the stars of safety and
justice for all, let us be mindful of the need, as James Rowland once said, to not
rest on our laurels "until victims' rights are not just celebrated annually, but
practiced daily."

----------------------------

Sample Sermon

Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go
to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest. --Psalm 126:
5-6

Today marks the beginning of National Crime Victims' Rights Week, a week
when we are asked to remember and honor innocent victims of crime and those
who serve them in so many different capacities throughout our communities,
states, and country.

Each one of us here today has most likely been touched in one way or another
by crime. Some of us have had our own personal experiences; others of us
know loved ones, friends, or neighbors who have suffered painful and
sometimes tragic losses through no fault of their own. Every time we turn on the
television set or pick up a newspaper, we are reminded of the destruction that
human beings can wreak upon each other as we are confronted with news
stories and statistics about child abuse, homicide, family violence, abuse of the
elderly, financial crimes, drunk driving crashes, rape, and victimization of
individuals with disabilities. And it often seems that the most vulnerable
members of our communities--children, elderly individuals, people with mental
and physical disabilities--are the ones that we are least able to protect.

The tragedies that unfold in peoples' lives as a result of crime victimization are
excruciatingly painful, and it is very human to want to seek vengeance when a
wrong has been committed. When we hear of such atrocities, or even worse,
when we experience them ourselves within our own families, our own 
neighborhoods, our own communities and churches, we are filled with a sense
of outrage and disbelief. We feel we must do something to right such a wrong,
to somehow return the traumatized victims and their families to what life was
like before this terrible incident occurred.

Psalm 126 reminds us that we are not alone in the suffering that is inflicted by
the maltreatment and abuse of others. This can be difficult for victims of crime
to remember as they confront the grim and forever altered aftermath of their
lives after victimization. There is so much to despair and grieve in the broken
relationships and connections that are torn asunder by crime. There are some
relationships that cannot be repaired, losses that irrevocably change lives, and
murdered victims who will never return to us in this life.

Perhaps one of the most important things we can do is be the messengers to
victims and their loved ones that they are, indeed, not alone. That they are
promised a new day when their tears shall become shouts of joy. This does not
mean that we should encourage crime victims to forget their pain; however, in
simply being with our brothers and sisters who are suffering from victimization
and in acknowledging the unspeakable tragedies they are enduring, we can
offer them a glimmer of hope that is promised beyond this suffering. We can
help them put one foot in front of the other, with just the tiniest of steps at first,
in slowly making their way out of paralyzing despair and hopelessness and into
the first glimmer of life after victimization.

The theme for this year's National Crime Victims' Rights Week is Victims'
Rights: Reach for the Stars. Reaching for the stars is a fitting comparison to
what we ask crime victims to do when recovering from the trauma of
victimization. Believing that they can recover, believing that God is there for
them throughout their suffering may at first seem as inconceivable as believing
they might reach out and touch the stars. Although it is difficult for crime victims
to really "recover" from crime in terms of returning to the state of their lives
prior to victimization, we can assist them in the very long process of adjustment
and acceptance to whatever changes in their lives the victimization has wrought.
For many crime victims, this long process is a "dark night of the soul" and filled
with despair, anger, and hopelessness at the injustice of random and
unexplained violence and violation.

Even though it is extremely difficult to be with people who are experiencing
such tragedy, this is exactly where we can be most helpful--in physically being
present with victims and reminding them, when the time is right, that God is
present in their lives and will assist them in the long journey ahead. We can
remind them, again when they are ready to hear, that some day their tears will
be harvested with joy and they will return from the harvest singing. We can't
explain to them why terrible injustices can occur, any more than we can explain
why horrible things happen every day throughout the world. We can only help
them in every way we can to do what they need to do to proceed on their
journey, and remain steadfast in our faith that God is there guiding us all along
the way.

One of the hardest things in life to do is to be present with another individual
who is in intolerable pain--physical, emotional, psychological, or spiritual.
Everything in us cries out to make it better, to do something to take away the
pain. But sometimes all we are asked to do is to sit still and listen and simply be
there for someone. And again, when the time is right and in many different
ways, we can be the voice that reminds one of our brothers or sisters that God
is still there, like the ever present stars in the heavens. In reaching out to our
friends and neighbors in need, we are a physical reminder of God's presence,
and maybe we can be the one person who is able to bring someone back from
the brink of hopelessness and despair and encourage them to make that first
tiny effort at "reaching for the stars," at reaching out for new life and new
meaning in the midst of tragedy, at reaching out and reclaiming their own lives in
a journey of faith.

----------------------------

Notable Quotables

"Victims' Rights: Reach for the Stars" Theme Quotations


Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars. Les Brown

It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves. William Shakespeare

No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted
land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit. Helen Keller

I always have to dream up there against the stars. If I don't dream I will make
it, I won't even get close. Henry J. Kaiser

People are like the stars; some generate their own light, while others reflect the
brilliance they receive. Jose Marti

Some things are meant to happen, some things are bound to be.
Love has a way of making doubting hearts believe.
Sometimes in spite of difference, sometimes against all odds,
Some things are meant to happen, it's in the stars. Amie Comeaux

We need to learn to set our course by the stars, not by the lights of every
passing ship. Oinar Bradley

When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won't come
up with a handful of mud either. Leo Burnett

Psychologically, "having it all" is not a valid concept. The marvelous thing about
human beings is that we are perpetually reaching for the stars. The more we
have, the more we want. And for this reason, we never have it all. Joyce
Brothers

Additional Inspirational Quotations

It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in
the end. Ursula K. LeGuin

If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded.
Maya Angelou

It is the constant and determined effort that breaks down resistance, sweeps
away all obstacles. Claude M. Bristol

Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.
Johann von Goethe


He who does not have the courage to speak up for his rights cannot earn the
respect of others. Rene G. Torres

Adversity is the first path to truth. George Gordon Byron

A will finds a way. Orison Swett Marden

I learned that it is the weak who are cruel, and that gentleness is to be expected
only from the strong. Leo Rosten

You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try.
Beverly Sills

The great end of life is not knowledge, but action. T. H. Huxley

Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility. Dietrich
Bonhoeffer

The more we do, the more we can do. William Hazlitt

Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both. Eleanor Roosevelt

I have come to believe that the one thing people cannot bear is a sense of
injustice. Poverty, cold, even hunger are more bearable than injustice. Millicent
Fenwick

It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is
shaped. Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of
others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.
Robert F. Kennedy

----------------------------

OVERVIEW OF RESOURCE  GUIDE 

----------------------------

Overview of Resource Guide 

Dear Friend: 

Welcome to the 2001 National Crime Victims' Rights Week Resource Guide,
published by the Victims' Assistance Legal Organization, Inc. (VALOR) and
the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime. This year marks
the 21st anniversary of the official commemoration of National Crime Victims'
Rights Week (NCVRW), a time-honored tradition observed by crime victims
and those who serve them in the United States. The 2001 Guide is designed to
help victim service providers plan and implement public awareness activities to
commemorate this special week.  

The theme for 2001NCVRW is "Victims' Rights: Reach for the Stars." This
year's graphic artwork is designed to illustrate the efforts that we in the field of
victim assistance have undertaken during the last 30-plus years in our ongoing
and determined fight for better rights and services for victims of crime. We have
reached for what was once a seemingly unreachable star--recognition within the
criminal and juvenile justice systems and other service systems that it is the
victim who has been harmed by the crime and who is entitled to basic legal
rights, protection and services. And over and over, all across this great country,
we have been successful in reaching for that star. This theme is reflected in all
the Resource Guide components which can be utilized throughout the year in
public education and community outreach efforts. 

The contents of the 2001 Guide include the following: public education and
community awareness materials; information about electronic resources
available from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service; a
comprehensive website listing; resources for the news media to help promote
NCVRW; statistical overviews that address 17 topics relevant to crime and
victimization; a listing of toll-free information and referral numbers for victim
assistance; and camera-ready artwork for posters, bookmarks, buttons,
bumper stickers, cover/title page for NCVRW material, and NCVRW
letterhead. 

Victim advocates and allied professionals should take a few moments to review
the following information regarding the organization of the 2001 NCVRW
Resource Guide. All contents are organized within the following 8 main topics
as they appear within your 2001 Resource Guide folder (from top left to
bottom right): 

1. STATISTICAL OVERVIEWS AND RESOURCES 
o Statistical Overviews 
o Child Abuse and Victimization 
o Cost of Crime 
o Crime and Education 
o Crime and Victimization 
o Domestic Violence 
o Drunk Driving 
o Elder Abuse and Neglect 
o Financial Crime 
o Hate and Bias Crime
o Homicide 
o Juvenile Crime and Victimization 
o Rape and Sexual Assault
o Sentencing and Corrections 
o Stalking 
o Substance Abuse and Crime 
o Victims With Disabilities 
o Workplace Violence and Crime 

Accessing Information: OVC Resource Center and Other Services 

NCVRW Resource Guide Co-Sponsors

Resource Guide Evaluation 

2. Sample Proclamation 

3. Working With the Media 
o Sample Press Release 
o Sample Public Service Announcements 
o Sample Opinion/Editorial Column 

4. TWENTY TIPS FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH 

5. CAMERA-READY ARTWORK
o Certificate of Appreciation
o Cover/Title Page 
o Crime Victim Resources Brochure
o Bookmarks Bumper Stickers Buttons Logos 
o NCVRW Letterhead 
o National Toll-free Information and Referral Telephone Numbers Poster 

6. LANDMARKS IN VICTIMS' RIGHTS AND SERVICES 
o Crime Victims' Rights in America: An Historical Overview 
o Victims' Rights Constitutional Amendments

7. MAXIMIZING COMMUNICATION AND AWARENESS
o Sample Speech 
o Notable Quotables 
o Sample Sermon 

8. OVERVIEW OF RESOURCE GUIDE 

You will find more detailed information and tips about the specific content and
suggested uses for each of the individual contents of the Guide on the cover
page of each section. These tips provide useful ideas for utilizing these valuable
resources to ensure the best implementation of 2001 National Crime Victims'
Rights Week.   

----------------------------

Acknowledgements

VALOR greatly appreciates the confidence and support of the U.S.
Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime, especially Bill Brantley,
who served as our Federal Project Officer. We are also grateful for the
outstanding work of our consultants, Anne Seymour and Jann Taylor, who
ensured the timely and thorough completion of this project.

Resource Guide Co-authors and Editors
Morna A. Murray
Anne K. Seymour
Jann P. Taylor

Contributing Organizations and Individuals
National Center for Victims of Crime
Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center

Graphic Design
Paul Evers Design

This product was supported by Grant Number 2000-MU-GX-K022 from the
Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of
Justice. The Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs coordinates
the activities of the following program offices and bureaus: Bureau of Justice
Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of
Crime. Points of view in this document are those of the authors and do not
necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of
Justice.