Federal Symposium: Fourth National
Symposium on Victims of Federal Crime
Since 1997, OVC has supported a federal symposium to develop strategies that more effectively leverage resources across agencies to better serve victims of federal crime. The National Symposium is the most important training conference for victim assistance personnel working with victims of federal crime. The Fourth National Symposium on Victims of Federal Crime was held in March 2005, in Atlanta, Georgia. Its goals were to improve participants' effectiveness in assisting federal victims and, consequently, to enhance victim satisfaction with and participation in the criminal justice system. The symposium brought together about 700 individuals from diverse sectors of the federal and military criminal justice systems. Participants learned from national experts about the latest promising practices to help federal victims access and use services and resources. Some of the topics covered include—
- Fundamental victim services, communication skills, the Victim Notification System, and the Justice for All Act of 2004.
- The unique needs of particular victim populations.
- Interagency collaboration, program development, and legislation.
- Promising practices for cutting-edge issues, new technology, mentoring, and leadership.
Conference participants included federal victim assistance personnel from various agencies, including the FBI, the United States Attorneys' Office, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and other Department of Justice agencies, as well as the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Department of State. OVC is working with an advisory group to determine future training priorities for federal victim assistance. For more information, contact OVC's Federal Assistance Division at 202-307-5983.
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