This report discusses one of the four major issue areas of Vision 21, which was established in 2013 as the first comprehensive examination into the crime victims field in 15 years.
Vision 21 projects engage a broad spectrum of service providers, advocates, criminal justice professionals, allied practitioners, and policymakers to address crime victim issues. Major issue areas being addresses by Vision 21 are 1) to conduct continuous rather than episodic strategic planning; 2) support research on victims and victimization; 3) ensure statutory, policy, and programmatic flexibility to address enduring and emerging crime victim issues; and 4) build and institutionalize capacity. The current report focuses on the third issue area. In order to ensure statutory, policy, and programmatic flexibility to address enduring and emerging crime victim issues, the U.S. Justice Department's Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is funding innovative responses to address traditional and new issues and challenges, the changing demographics in the United States, the impact of globalization and advances in technology, and serving victims of evolving crimes. The major vehicle for implementing these efforts is the National Resource Center for Reaching Victims (the Center), which is committed to making victim services accessible, culturally relevant, and trauma-informed. The Center will deliver a comprehensive array of training and technical assistance to expand the capacity of victim service programs to identify and reach victims. Among these activities are a public awareness and communications campaign; training through webinars, regional and other in-person training opportunities, and national conferences; and mini-grants to spur innovation.