NCJ Number
136499
Date Published
1991
Length
41 pages
Annotation
These guidelines specify the procedures to be followed by the Federal criminal justice system in responding to the needs of crime victims and witnesses.
Abstract
The guidelines combine the requirements of the Victim and Witness Protection Act of 1982 and the victims' rights statutes contained in the Crime Control Act of 1990. These laws aim to assist victims and witnesses as much as possible within limits of available resources and without infringing on the constitutional rights of the accused. Special attention should be given to victims of serious, violent crime, but all victims and witnesses who have suffered physical, financial, or emotional trauma should receive the assistance and protection to which they are entitled under the law. The guidelines discuss the specific services, victim impact statements, restitution, and the rights of child victims and witnesses. Excerpts from laws and the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.