2009 NCVRW PSA Video
TRANSCRIPT

March 20, 2009
TRT: 01:00

Judge Lois Haight, Chairman, President’s Task Force on Victims of Crime, 1982: For quite some time, we had a criminal justice system that focused on the criminal. It focused on the attorneys and focused on the judges and just ignored and mistreated and blamed the victim.

Steve Derene, Executive Director, National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators: Victims became removed from the system where it became pretty common to refer to victims as "the forgotten people."

Woman: The Victims of Crime Act made big changes.

Steve Derene: Not only did it establish a statutory basis for victim rights, but it provided funding for services.

Woman: Without the money that comes in from the crime victims fund, many victim assistance programs probably would not be able to exist.

Woman: With the resources that are available now, and the wonderful people who work in victims’ services, there are people who can help victims like myself to become survivors.

Woman: It's helped thousands of people, one individual person at a time.