NCJ Number
67583
Date Published
1979
Length
58 pages
Annotation
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ASSISTANCE SERVICE TO CRIME VICTIMS PROVIDED BY THREE CRISIS CENTERS IN MINNESOTA IS EVALUATED IN TERMS OF CLIENT PRECEPTION, POLICE REACTIONS, AND IMPACT ON CRIMINAL COURT PROSECUTION.
Abstract
WRITTEN BY THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, THIS 1979 RESEARCH REPORT EXAMINES THE QUALITY OF SERVICES AND THE IMPACT OF THREE CRIME VICTIM CRISIS CENTERS LOCATED IN MINNEAPOLIS, ST. PAUL, AND MOWER COUNTY, MINNESOTA. THE PERIOD COVERED BY THE REPORT IS 1977-1978, AND ITS FINDINGS ARE STATISTICALLY TABULATED ACCORDING TO A NUMBER OF DESCRIPTIVE VARIABLES WHICH INCLUDE MOST SERIOUS OFFENSES COMMITTED AGAINST CLIENTS; PRIMARY SERVICE DELIVERY BY CENTERS; MEAN SATISFACTION SCORE (OF CLIENT SATISFACTION BY TYPE OF SERVICE); CLIENT VIEWS ON CENTER PERFORMANCE (ON SUCH DIMENSIONS AS UNDERSTANDING, PROMPTNESS, HELPFULNESS, QUALITY OF REFERRALS, TIMELINESS). THE NATURE OF SERVICES RECEIVED BY CRIME VICTIMS AT THE THREE CENTERS, WAS OVERWHELMINGLY INFORMATIONAL AND/OR ADVISORY, RATHER THAN OF THE CRISISINTERVENTION TYPE. THE CLIENTS' PERCEPTION OF THE SERVICES RECEIVED WAS PREDOMINANTLY POSITIVE (87%). THE TWO TYPES OF SERVICES WHICH HAD SOME NEGATIVE EVALUATION WERE PROMPTNESS AND SATISFACTION WITH OUTSIDE REFERRALS, BOTH ALMOST ENTIRELY BEYOND THE CONTROL OF THE CENTER STAFFS. CENTER CLIENTS WERE MOSTLY REFERRED BY THE POLICE, EITHER DIRECTLY, OR INDIRECTLY, AS A RESULT OF CENTER STAFF EXAMINING POLICE CRIME REPORTS (MADE FREELY AVAILABLE TO THE SEARCHERS); OTHER CLIENTS CAME TO THE CENTERS ON THEIR OWN. THE CRIME VICTIM CRISIS CENTER SERVICE DELIVERY IS ALSO EXAMINED IN TERMS OF POLICE OPINIONS ON WHETHER THE CENTERS HAVE HELPED, HAD NO IMPACT ON, OR ACTUALLY HINDERED, THEIR WORK. ANSWERS WERE ALMOST EQUALLY DIVIDED BETWEEN POSITIVE AND NEUTRAL REACTIONS; ONLY 3% HAD A NEGATIVE REACTION. THE IMPACT OF THE CENTERS UPON THE ABILITY OF CRIMINAL COURTS TO CONDUCT EFFECTIVE CRIMINAL PROSECUTION WAS HELPFUL, BECAUSE THE CENTER STAFFS CONVINCED A NUMBER OF CRIME VICTIMS TO TESTIFY IN COURT WHO MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN PREVENTED FROM DOING SO BY INTIMIDATION OR FEAR. THE CENTER STAFF ALSO PROVIDED TRANSPORTATION TO THE COURTS FOR A NUMBER OF VICTIMS, ALERTED OTHERS TO THE DATES OF THEIR COURT APPEARANCES, AND IN SOME CASES EVEN ACCOMPANIED THE VICTIMS TO COURT. OTHER SURVEY FINDINGS INDICATED THAT THE CRIMES COMMITTED AGAINST THE VICTIM WERE CHIEFLY BREAKING-AND-ENTERING AND ASSAULT. THE MAJORITY OF THE CENTER CLIENTS WERE WHITE, FEMALE, AND YOUNG. PROJECTIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF THE CENTERS (WHOSE CONTINUATION WAS RECOMMENDED BY THE MAJORITY OF POLICE OFFICERS INTERVIEWED) APPROXIMATE THAT 20 PERCENT OF CRIME VICTIMS IN THE MINNESOTA AREAS SERVED BY THE CENTERS WOULD BECOME CLIENTS. IN ADDITION TO THE STATISTICAL TABLES PROVIDED IN THE TEXT, NUMEROUS TABLES ARE GIVEN IN THE APPENDIXES.