Overview of the Resource Guide

Introduction

The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), within the Office of Justice Programs at the U.S. Department of Justice, is pleased to present the 2005 National Crime Victims' Rights Week Resource Guide. This valuable victim and public education and outreach package was developed by Justice Solutions as a component of OVC's National Public Awareness and Education Campaign. The goal of the Campaign is to increase awareness among crime victims and survivors about the rights and services available to assist them, and to educate the public about the impact of crime on victims and survivors, victims' rights, and crime victim services.

This Resource Guide is designed to help victim assistance, criminal and juvenile justice, and allied professional agencies successfully plan for victim and public awareness activities during 2005 National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW) and throughout the year.

In 1981, President Ronald W. Reagan declared the first "National Crime Victims' Rights Week." As such, 2005 NCVRW - scheduled for April 10th to 16th - is the Silver Anniversary of this cherished national commemorative week. This 25th anniversary observance is dedicated to the memory of President Reagan, whose vision addressed the plight of crime victims for the first time on a national level, and whose leadership and actions resulted in the creation of many policies and programs that promoted crime victims' rights and services. A special "Tribute to President Ronald W. Reagan" highlights the many landmark achievements of his Administration that promoted victims' rights and services, including the creation of the Office for Victims of Crime and the establishment of the Crime Victims Fund. It includes personal observations about President Reagan from members of his President's Task Force on Victims of Crime.

The Mission of National Crime Victims' Rights Week

The mission of National Crime Victims' Rights Week is to provide a time of nationwide remembrance, reflection and re-commitment for crime victims and survivors and those who serve them in order to raise individual and public awareness about the rights and needs of crime victims, the challenges that victims face in seeking help and hope in the aftermath of crime, and the positive impact that individuals and communities can have by providing services and support to victims and survivors of crime.

The Third Annual National Candlelight Observance of National Crime Victims' Rights Week

The Third Annual National Candlelight Observance to commemorate NCVRW and pay tribute to victims and survivors is scheduled for the evening of Thursday, April 7, 2005, in Washington, D.C. Additional information about the National Observance (including time and location) will be available at OVC's Web site: www.ovc.gov/ncvrw2005/welcome.html.

2005 National Crime Victims' Rights Week Theme and Theme Colors

The theme for 2005 NCVRW is "Justice Isn't Served Until Crime Victims Are," which was developed as a result of the National Crime Victim and Public Awareness Strategy Development Conference sponsored by OVC in 2003. All the documents and graphic artwork included in this Resource Guide reflect this insightful theme, which serves as a reminder of the value and importance of crime victim services as a core component of justice in America - services that offer victims help and hope in the aftermath of criminal victimization.

This year's theme colors are Blue (Pantone #308) and Silver (Pantone #877), which together reflect the unique and special nature of our Silver Anniversary.

Suggestions for Utilizing the 2005 National Crime Victims' Rights Week Resource Guide

The 2005 NCVRW Resource Guide is being disseminated to the field with enough time to provide at least three months to accommodate planning and organizing efforts. It is critical to coordinate all 2005 NCVRW activities within a jurisdiction to ensure the best possible use of time and resources, and to make the Silver Anniversary commemoration of NCVRW the best ever.

Please consider these suggestions that can enhance your 2005 NCVRW planning efforts:

• Carefully review all the contents of the 2005 NCVRW Resource Guide so you become familiar with the wide range of resources it includes.
  
  
• Establish a NCVRW Planning Committee to oversee and implement your plans and activities. Potential members include crime victims and survivors, victim service providers, health and mental health professionals, public policy makers, and representatives from criminal and juvenile justice agencies, universities and colleges, schools, civic organizations, multi-faith communities, and the news media. Also seek collaboration and support from representatives of communities that include victims who are traditionally underserved.
  
  
• Develop a planning timetable that indicates Planning Committee meetings, deliverables, deadlines, and areas of responsibility.
  
  
• Make sure you have a current database of print and electronic news media (see "Working With the Media" for suggestions about how to create or update a media database).
  
  
• Coordinate 2005 NCVRW planning activities with those being planned to commemorate National Child Abuse Awareness Month, National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, National Volunteer Week, and National Youth Service Days (all scheduled for April 2005).

Your Resource Guide is divided into six sections (which are described in more detail below), and formatted into booklets that are easy to reference and retain. Each section has a cover page that describes its components in greater detail, and a new "At-a-Glance" checklist offers concise information and tips about how to best utilize this Guide.

Exciting new additions to this year's Guide include:

• Tips for outreach to and collaboration with multi-faith communities.
  
  
• "Putting Victims First," a document that utilizes OVC's theme to identify how different constituencies can truly prioritize victims' rights and needs.
  
  
• "Paving the Path to Justice," which highlights our field's most significant accomplishments since the inception of NCVRW in 1981.
  
  
• Camera-ready artwork for a "Crime Clock" with a blank layout (included on the enclosed CD), allowing states and local jurisdictions to fill in their own data and statistics.
  
  
• Camera-ready artwork for name tags and name plates.
  
  
• Six innovative public service posters that reflect the 2005 NCVRW theme, as well as OVC's theme, "Putting Victims First."
  
  
• A new statistical overview about Human Trafficking.

Electronic Access for the 2005 National Crime Victims' Rights Week Resource Guide

All camera-ready artwork featured in this Resource Guide is included in an easy-to-access CD to enhance customization efforts. The artwork is provided in two formats. The first format is Macintosh Quark 5.0 files along with the accompanying fonts and images required to open and print the artwork correctly. The user must have Quark Xpress for Macintosh in version 5.0 or above to be able to open and view these files. The second format is PDF files. These files can be opened by any computer with Acrobat Reader. Acrobat Reader can be downloaded from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html. These PDFs are interactive. There are fill-in boxes within the pages for personalizing the artwork.

The entire contents of the 2005 NCVRW Resource Guide can be accessed in electronic format at: www.ovc.gov/ncvrw2005/welcome.html.

2005 National Crime Victims' Rights Resource Guide Contents

1. Overview of the Resource Guide

This introductory section provides an overview of the dedication, dates, theme, and theme colors of 2005 NCVRW. It includes a description of the mission of NCVRW and new additions to this year's Guide, along with information about how to electronically access the Resource Guide from the OVC Web site. A new feature of the NCVRW Resource Guide is an "At-a-Glance" summary of the key concepts that are critical to your successful promotion of 2005 NCVRW.

2. Maximizing Communication and Awareness

• Commemorative Calendar
• Notable Quotables
• Putting Victims First (that describes how to make victims' rights and services a priority)
• Sample Proclamation
• Sample Speech
• Tips for Outreach to and Collaboration with Multi-faith Communities
• Tips to Promote Victim and Community Awareness

3. Camera-Ready Artwork

• Six Print Public Service Posters
• Two Print Public Service Posters in Spanish
• Logos, Buttons and Magnets
• Bookmarks
• Ribbon Cards
• Name Tags
• Name Plates
• Cover/Title Page
• 2005 NCVRW Letterhead
• Bumper Stickers
• National Toll-free Information and Referral Telephone Numbers
• Crime Clock (with national statistics)
• Crime Clock (blank layout to complete with state or local statistics, available only on the CD)
• Certificate of Appreciation

4. Working With the Media

• Sample Press Release
• Sample Public Service Announcements
• Sample Opinion/Editorial Column
• A Crime Victim's Experiences: Then and Now

5. Landmarks in Victims' Rights and Services

• Paving the Path to Justice
• Crime Victims' Rights in America: A Historical Overview
• The History of the Crime Victims' Movement in the United States
• A Retrospective of the 1982 President's Task Force on Victims of Crime

6. Statistical Overviews and Resources

Statistical Overviews

• Child Abuse and Victimization
• Cost of Crime and Victimization
• Crime and Victimization
• Crime in Higher Education
• Cybercrime Victimization
• Domestic Violence
• Drunk and Drugged Driving
• Elder Crime and Victimization
• Financial Crime and Identity Theft
• Hate and Bias Crime Victimization
• Homicide
• Human Trafficking
• Juvenile Crime and Victimization
• Mental Health Issues
• Rape and Sexual Assault
• School Crime and Victimization
• Stalking
• Substance Abuse and Victimization
• Terrorism and Mass Violence
• Victims with Disabilities
• Workplace Violence and Victimization

Resources

• Accessing Information: OVC Resource Center and Other Services
• NCVRW Resource Guide Partners
• Resource Guide Evaluation Form

Free Victim and Public Awareness Theme Poster

OVC is pleased to offer a powerful, two-color 22" by 28" poster that incorporates this year's theme, "Justice Isn't Served Until Crime Victims Are." If you received this Resource Guide in the mail, you will automatically receive one copy of the theme poster in a separate mailing tube. A limited number of additional copies can be accessed by contacting the OVC Resource Center at 800-851-3420, and requesting Order Number PS 000014.