NCJ Number
77946
Date Published
1978
Length
27 pages
Annotation
This report summarizes the activities of the Victim/Witness Assistance Project, which is responsible for appearance management of police and civilian witnesses in Kings County Criminal Court (New York).
Abstract
The Victim/Witness Assistance Project, administered by the Vera Institute, was begun to counteract the increasingly high numbers of witnesses who were failing to cooperate with law enforcement and criminal justice agencies. It has three major responsibilities: to reduce the number of unnecessary court appearances required of police and civilian witnesses, to assist victims and witnesses with their participation in the court process and in obtaining assistance from other agencies, and to divert selected cases to a dispute center for resolution as an alternative to prosecution in the criminal courts. During the second quarter of 1978, the project contributed to the increased efficiency of the Kings County Criminal Court and saved higher percentages of appearances by civilians and police than in previous years. The notifications unit maintains a computerized data base with complete information on all cases arraigned since June 1976. The unit produces notification lists, a recommended immediate action list, and a roll call list. The services unit includes a reception center, services counseling, a children's center, transportation services, a hotline, an emergency repair van, a restitution program, and property release procedures. The mediation unit offers mediation to selected cases. Five figures illustrate the second quarter 1978 activities compared with previous quarters.