In Our Corner

National Crime Victims’ Rights Week – April 13- 19, 08

Imagine that your sister has been murdered. While walking home from work one evening, she was robbed, shot, and left to bleed to death. Although the police arrested her murderer, you received no notice about the arraignment, continuances, or other critical events in the case. The defendant was charged with first degree murder but then—as the case entered its third year—allowed to plead guilty to a lesser charge. Your family was not allowed to deliver an impact statement at the sentencing. Then, while the convicted killer was serving his 15year sentence, you received no notifications when he was up for parole. How would you feel?

In 1982, President Ronald Reagan established the Presidential Task Force on Victims of Crime, which held hearings throughout the nation and recommended better protections for victims’ rights. Every state and the federal government has established statutory rights for victims, and to date, 33 states have amended their constitutions to protect those rights. Now the Justice for All Act, passed by Congress in 2004, grants victims new rights in federal proceedings and the legal standing to have those rights enforced. This landmark legislation culminates more than two decades of progress for victims of crime.  Yet despite these advances, victims still face significant hurdles to attaining real justice. Victims are often not treated with respect by prosecutors and judges; they are not notified about key deliberations in their criminal case; they fail to access the victim compensation to which they are entitled; and they continue to struggle without services that will help them recover from the trauma of crime. National Crime Victims’ Rights Week challenges us to ask what justice means to victims and how we can move closer to achieving the ideal of justice for all. 

What justice means to victims is both complex and varied, but most victims of crime express the same priorities.  They want to be safe and made whole. They want their physical and emotional wounds healed and their property restored. They want offenders held accountable for their crimes, and they want to take part in the process that holds them responsible. They want their communities to stand respectfully behind them as they strive to rebuild their lives.

What steps can our nation take to meet these needs?  First, we can acknowledge that crime affects everyone.  The impact of crime—such as drive by shootings, domestic violence, or even identity theft— leaves families, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and entire communities less secure. In addition to the human impact of crime, the financial cost of crime is staggering. In 2005, the total economic loss to victims was $1.4 billion for violent crime and $15.6 billion for property crime.   The annual cost of identity theft in 2003 was $5 billion.   In addition to these costs, the cost of crime to society—for law enforcement, prosecution, and corrections; lost wages and productivity; and increased insurance costs—is incalculable.

Second, we can recognize that victims’ rights promote justice—both for victims and the community. In states where legal protections for victims are strong, victims are more likely to know their rights, participate in the criminal justice system, view criminal justice officials favorably, and express more overall satisfaction with the system.4 Jurisdictions that honor victims’ rights—to a speedy trial, for example—reduce the risk of witness intimidation and promote a swift and sure response to crime. Authorities that notify victims of changes in the status of their offenders promote victim safety, help prevent further crime, and encourage victims to stay involved in the case. Courts that order restitution to victims and enforce these orders hold offenders accountable to the victim and society. Honoring victims’ rights, then, serves both victims and the public interest.

Finally, we can serve victims more effectively. Those harmed by crime need help to understand their rights, negotiate the criminal justice system, and access needed services. Many jurisdictions have found innovative, victim centered approaches to support victims and combat crime.  The comprehensive, integrated, interagency programs set up throughout the country to reduce domestic violence are just one example of such promising approaches.

“All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom; justice; honor; duty; mercy; hope.”

Winston Churchhill (1874 – 1965)

For more information or would like to request a presentation on a domestic violence topic.  Please contact us at (605) 224-0256 or through our website at www.missourishores.com. 

Missouri Shores Domestic Violence Center

- A United Way participating Agency

24 Hour Crisis Hotline: (605) 224-7187

              Or toll free: 1-800-696-7187

Office Phone (605)224-0256

E-mail: domestic@missourishores.com

www.missourishores.com