Global Strategies for Implementation

Comprehensive Victims' Rights and Services
A Checklist for Implementing New Directions
in Your Community

Crime victims need dignified and compassionate treatment, sustained financial and emotional support, and enforceable rights throughout the justice process. Criminal and juvenile justice agencies, victim service providers, crime victim compensation programs, and allied professionals in the health, mental health, education, faith, legal, business, and media communities can work together to ensure that crime victims receive the following rights and services:

Emergency Aid

• On-scene crisis intervention
• 24-hour crisis hotline
• Sensitive death notification
• Information on victims rights and services
• Referrals for emergency financial aid
• Emergency transportation
• Accompaniment to hospital for rape examination
• Referrals for emergency shelter
• Referrals for short- and long-term counseling
• Local emergency fund to aid victims
• Assistance with emergency compensation claim
• Information and assistance on security options
• Emergency restraining or protection orders
• Information and assistance on recovery of stolen property
• Information and assistance on document replacement
• Child care services
• Crime scene cleanup
• Interpreter services

Counseling and Advocacy

• Crisis intervention services
• Short-term counseling
• Long-term counseling
• Access and referrals to self-help support groups
• Group counseling
• Community crisis response
• Access to counseling during criminal and juvenile justice adjudications
• Intervention with employers, creditors, and landlords
• Intervention with public agencies

Investigation

• Regular updates on status of investigation
• Notification of suspect arrest
• Basic information on the criminal justice system
• Compensation claim filing and processing assistance
• Referrals for short- and long-term counseling
• Interpreter services
• Protection from intimidation and harassment
• Notification of pretrial release of accused
• Input into bail/bond release decisions

Prosecution

• Orientation to the criminal justice system
• Regular updates on status of case
• Accompaniment to court
• Witness alert/on-call technology 24 hours per day
• Safe and secure waiting areas
• Employer intervention services
• Notification of plea negotiations
• Victim consultation in plea decisions
• Assistance in recovery of property held as evidence
• Information on restitution
• Restitution routinely requested or an explanation in writing
• Landlord/creditor intervention
• Interpreter services
• Transportation/parking assistance
• Child care services

Sentencing

• Notification of right to submit a victim impact statement
• Victim impact information in presentence investigation report
• Victim impact statement-written
• Victim impact statement-oral
• Victim statement of opinion
• Audio- or videotaped victim impact statement
• Notice of sentence

Post-disposition

• Information/notification of appeal
• Collection of restitution
• Restitution payment as condition of probation or parole
• Notification of parole hearing
• Victim impact statement at parole-written
• Victim impact statement at parole-oral
• Audio- or videotaped victim impact statement at parole
• Notification of violation of parole/probation
• Notification of revocation of parole/probation
• Notification of application for clemency, pardon, or commutation
• Notification of escape and capture
• Notification of custody location
• Name of probation officer or other supervised community release officer
• Notice of execution date in death penalty cases
• Advance notification of release