NCJ Number
110684
Date Published
1988
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This summary of a study of the organization and operation of 25 victim-witness programs nationwide addresses service and staff selection, networks, and funding.
Abstract
Regarding service selection, most programs give highest priority to crisis intervention, followup counseling, victims' rights implementation, and court-related services. Beyond these essential services, localities must determine the additional services most needed. The staff selected must have positive feelings toward the criminal justice system, must be nonjudgmental toward victims in stressful situations, and must have the resilience and flexibility to work overtime and address problems on short notice. Volunteers can save money and expand service delivery. Planners should develop close ties with criminal justice personnel and other human service providers to obtain help for victim-witness services and avoid service duplication. More than half the programs studied combine funding from two or more sources. The most frequently used sources are State and local government. Federal support is available through the 1984 Federal Victims of Crime Act. Two potential funding sources are the private sector and the courts. 2 tables, 6 references.