NCJ Number
74901
Date Published
1979
Length
56 pages
Annotation
This final report provides an overview of all components of the Victim/Witness Assistance Project (New York), an evaluation of the project's strengths and weaknesses as revealed during its first 3 years of operation.
Abstract
The project changed its status from demonstration to institutionalization as a result of the administrative transfer of its operation from the Vera Institute of Justice to the newly (1978) created Victim Services Agency (VSA) both based in New York. The report restates the major goals of the project: the appearance management of police and civilian prosecution witnesses in criminal court and assistance services to crime victims. The latter include a crime hotline, emergency repairs for burglary victims, transportation to and from court when needed, a witness reception center for awaiting court when needed, a witnesses, and a services counselor for persons with social service needs. The Victim/Witness Assistance Project staff is now operating an upgraded witness notification system, assisted by a computerized data base on all cases arraigned since 1976. In addition to providing services to crime victims and witnesses to mitigate the inconveniences involved in court appearances, the project's staff implemented new criminal justice delivery programs, including mediation (especially in case of prior victim-offender relationship), restitution, and victim involvement (the latter aimed at improving victim attitudes toward the criminal justice system). The report includes an evaluation of the weaknesses and strengths of the project (among the latter, a savings by all project components valued at $3.7 million). The text includes numerous graphs and tabular data, and eight footnotes.