Victim and Witness Fair-Treatment Standards Act: A Model Statute

• NCJ Number: 170718
• Author(s): M A Young; J H Stein
• Date Published: 1985
• Length: 20 pages
• Grant Number(s): 84-IJ-CX-0001
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: National Organization for Victim Assistance
• Sale Source: National Organization for Victim Assistance; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The Victim and Witness Fair-Treatment Standards Act is described as a model statute to keep crime victims and witnesses informed and involved at every stage of the criminal justice process.

Abstract

Crime victims and their advocates have called for standards of fair treatment for both victims and witnesses to improve the bond between criminal justice agencies and citizens they serve. These standards have been partially or fully implemented in many jurisdictions throughout the United States and have proven to be effective in giving victims and witnesses a sense of participation in criminal case outcomes. Provisions of the model statute focus on the fair treatment of victims and witnesses and the creation of a criminal justice system that is fully responsive to legitimate interests and concerns of the people it serves. The model statute contains definitions, identifies information and events that should routinely be communicated to victims and witnesses, and covers fair treatment standards and methods of presenting victim concerns and interests to criminal justice decision-makers.