Responding to the needs of victims: what was promised, what has been delivered

Source: (2006) In, Dennis Sullivan and Larry Tifft editors, “Handbook of Restorative Justice” A Global Perspective. London and New York: Routledge. Taylor & Francis Group pp.211-220

The Victim Rights Movement has over the last thirty years achieved great advances on behalf of crime victims. These advances con be seen in the increased participation of victims in our systems of justice and in our societal recognition of victims’ need for compensation. In all fifty states we have seen the passage of legislation that established crime victims’ bills of rights and crime victims’ compensation programs. These advances address the needs of victims to be included in the process and in assessing the financial impact that the crime had on them. The more salient elements of victim participation in the system can be summarized as the right to be notified, to be present and to be heard. These advancements can be seen in the legislative histories of the individual states and are paralleled at the national level. (excerpt)