Judicial Training Project

OVC's judicial training project is developing and pilot testing a comprehensive national training curriculum on victimization issues for judges and court personnel. The curriculum's learning modules will address—

• The impact of crime on victims and their families.
• Appropriate roles for victims in the justice process.
• Sentencing orders and victim restitution.
• The value and use of victim impact statements.
• The use of technology to improve victim services and victims' access to the criminal justice process.
• Victims' rights laws and their implementation.
• Victim and community safety.
• Special considerations for victims with disabilities, child victims, older victims, and non-English-speaking victims.

During the project's first phase, under the guidance of a multidisciplinary advisory group, the grantee will conduct a literature review and a training analysis and design the curriculum, including instructor and participant guides. The grantee will also pilot test the curriculum at six sites and collect evaluative data.

In subsequent phases, the grantee will—

• Conduct six additional pilot tests.
• Evaluate the training course and refine the curriculum.
• Develop a benchbook for judges on victimization and a compendium of promising practices.
• Design a comprehensive strategy for integrating the curriculum into continuing judicial education.

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