This facilitator manual was developed as part of a standardized victim impact curriculum for corrections, and provides an overview of the Victim Impact Program, the curriculum, and the facilitator's role in the implementation of the program curriculum.
In 2005, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Office of Victim and Survivor Services received an award from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) to develop a standardized victim impact curriculum for corrections. The Victim Impact Curriculum requires a unique learning environment to enable the "power of the personal story" and its impact on offender thinking and behavior to unfold. The curriculum consists of 13 units, each requiring 2.5 hours to complete. It is built around the 10 core crime areas (property crime, assault, robbery, hate and bias, gang crime, sexual assault, child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, drunk and impaired driving, and homicide). The facilitator's challenge is to set up a rich learning environment that incorporates relevant curriculum materials, adult-centered learning principles, experiential learning opportunities, cultural sensitivity, and activities to facilitate changes in offenders' thinking, feeling, and behavior. This facilitator manual describes the history and philosophy of victim impact classes and details the training requirements for facilitators, and gives facilitators an overview of the curriculum, including easy-to-use "how to" sections about the class structure and use of speakers. Appendixes A-L