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National Crime Victims' Rights Week 2007
Video Transcript

Descriptions of graphic elements appear in brackets. Throughout the video, still images and video clips fade in and out as victims speak about their experiences.]

[Start of video.]

White male: This was the first time that I was able to-and had the right to-tell this man what he had done. [Images of a woman crying in court and a distraught teenage boy fade on and off screen.]

[Text moves across the screen: The Right To Be Heard.]

White female: I wanted my voice heard as well as his. I wanted the parole board to know what I had gone through and why he deserved to stay in jail.

American Indian female: It wasn't just me going through the pain, it affected my whole family. And I wanted to make sure that I spoke not just for myself, but for everyone. [Images of a cemetery and of an American Indian drum circle fade on and off screen.]

Victim advocate, white male: Victims are meaningful. They're more than just witnesses. They're more than just bit players. They're important participants in the criminal justice system. [Images of victims continue to move across the screen, including an image of two young boys holding candles.]

[Closing title animation begins.]

Paul Charlton: We need to seek justice, and the only way we can do that is by giving victims voice.

Dr. Lorraine Chase: Every victim, every time, is the way it should always be.

[The title animates on the screen: Victims' Rights: Every Victim. Every Time.]

[End of video clip.]