I don’t believe half of the American population or even a small portion knows what can happen to you when you are a victim of a crime going through the criminal justice process.

Crime victimization is a frightening and unsettling experience for the millions of Americans whose lives it touches each year. As recently as 1972, almost no services were available to help crime victims or their survivors repair the damage to their lives and property or contend with the traumatic and frustrating ordeal of prosecuting the offender. Today, however, due largely to the dedicated efforts of advocates, lawmakers, and crime victims, a tremendous range of services and resources is available to help victims obtain justice and heal. The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), the U.S. Department of Justice agency that advocates for the fair treatment of crime victims, wants you to know that if you or someone you love is a victim of crime—you have rights, you can get help, and you can work for positive change.

You Have Rights

A majority of states have amended their constitutions to guarantee certain rights for crime victims. Typically, these include the following fundamental rights:

• The right to notification of all court proceedings related to the offense.
  
  
• The right to be reasonably protected from the accused offender.
  
  
• The right to have input at sentencing (in the form of a victim impact statement).
  
  
• The right to information about the conviction, sentencing, imprisonment, and release of the offender.
  
  
• The right to an order of restitution from the convicted offender.
  
  
• The right to notice of these rights.
  
  
• The right to enforce these rights.

If you are a victim of or witness to a crime, these rights apply to you. You may obtain information about these rights through your local victim/witness assistance program (usually located in the prosecutor’s office), your state Attorney General’s Office, or U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.

You Can Get Help

Literally thousands of programs that provide services and sanctuary to crime victims exist throughout the United States. These programs are within state government agencies and private nonprofit or charitable organizations. They provide two general types of services—compensation and assistance. Crime victim compensation programs reimburse victims of crime occurring within the state (including victims of federal crimes) for crime-related expenses. Crimes covered include violent crimes such as homicide, rape, drunk driving, domestic violence, and child sexual abuse and neglect. Expenses covered are medical costs, mental health counseling, funeral and burial costs, and lost wages or loss of support. Crime victim assistance programs provide a range of services, including crisis intervention, counseling, emergency shelter, criminal justice advocacy, and emergency transportation. Although compensation and assistance are provided most often to individuals, in certain instances, entire communities may be eligible to receive assistance for a multiple victimization. Usually, you can obtain information about compensation and assistance through your local prosecutor’s office. You also may receive it from your local law enforcement agency when you report an offense.

The Crime Victims Fund

Financial support for many of these programs is provided through the Crime Victims Fund, which is administered by OVC. Established by the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, the Fund is a major funding source for victim services throughout the country. Millions of dollars have been deposited into the Fund each year from criminal fines, forfeited bail bonds, penalties, and special assessments collected by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, U.S. federal courts, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. To date, all Fund dollars have come from offenders convicted of federal crimes, not from taxpayers. However, new legislation has expanded the possible sources of Fund deposits. The recently passed (October 2001) Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required To Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA PATRIOT Act) provides authority for the deposit of gifts, bequests, or donations from private entities into the Fund. Beginning in fiscal year 2002, deposits into the Fund may come from criminal fines, penalties, special assessments, gifts, bequests, or donations from private entities.

You Can Work for Positive Change

Progress achieved in improving the treatment of crime victims is due largely to the efforts of thousands of individuals who have turned their victimization into a force for positive change. Victims and survivors of victims of homicide, rape, child abuse, domestic violence, and other serious offenses have transformed their experience into a vehicle for ensuring that victims of similar types of crime are afforded true justice, meaningful assistance, and compassionate treatment before the law. Many victims and survivors volunteer their time and resources toward creating and staffing programs, conducting legislative advocacy, working in shelters, answering crisis hotlines, and speaking on victim impact panels. Similar opportunities exist in virtually every community. Working for positive change helps ensure that this progress is not lost and that new ground is broken to gain greater justice and healing for all victims of crime.

National Victim Organizations Stand Ready To Assist You

The Office for Victims of Crime takes no responsibility for, and exercises no control over, the organizations, views, accuracy, copyright or trademark compliance, or legality of the material contained on the Web sites linked below.

If you are a crime victim and are seeking information or referrals on victims’ rights, services, and criminal justice resources, the following organizations may help you:

Childhelp USA/Forrester National Child Abuse Hotline
1-800-422-4453

Family Violence Prevention Fund/Health Resource Center
1-800-313-1310

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
1-800-438-6233

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
1-800-843-5678

National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC)
1-800-394-2255