J.A. Parker
President
The Lincoln INstitute

Dear Colleague:

Commemoration of National Crime Victims' Rights Week will be observed this spring with a new momentum and force. Media attention on the impact of crime on victims and the crime victims' rights movement has never been so widespread. As of last fall, more than half of the states have enacted Constitutional Amendments to protect the rights of crime victims, and a federal constitutional amendment to chisel basic rights for crime victims into the granite of the criminal justice system was introduced in the Congress last summer with strong bi-partisan support. The progress of the crime victims' rights movement in recent years is unprecedented. Thousands of laws have been passed and thousands of crime victim service programs have become established, including one city constructing the nation's first crime victim center. However, despite the progress, many victims continue to suffer needlessly, and there is so much more to be done,

During the week of April 13 - 19, 1997, we have the opportunity to pay tribute to innocent victims of crime and violence and to recognize the many advocates and allied professionals who provide much needed assistance and support. The theme for 1997 National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW) is Let Victims' Rights Ring Across America. As we commemorate National Crime Victims' Rights Week this year, let us renew our commitment to ensuring that fair treatment and comprehensive services will ring for all victims.

VALOR, the Victims' Assistance Legal Organization, Inc., is pleased to have the opportunity to produce the 1997 National Crime Victims' Rights Week Resource Guide with the support of the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime. This Resource Guide contains a variety of materials that will assist you in planning your community and statewide activities to commemorate NCVRW. To produce this Guide, VALOR tapped the outstanding talents of consultants Anne Seymour, Christine Edmunds, Ellen Alexander, and Jann Taylor. For their assistance, we are very grateful.

This year, the devastating impact of crime will be felt by nearly forty million people in America. We hope that your National Crime Victims' Rights Week activities will bring new attention and mobilize resources to assist victims throughout the year. Thank you for your dedication on behalf of America's crime victims.

Sincerely,