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Victim assistance is mandated under the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA). This act created a federal victims-compensation account funded by fines assessed in federal criminal convictions and established provisions to assist state programs that compensate victims of crime. Federal funds provide about 20 to 35 percent of the state compensation programs’ total budgets through grants authorized by VOCA. Public and state funding is also an important source for crime-victim-assistance programs.
Even though every state has a compensation program that provides financial assistance to victims of crime, creating an effective response that meets all of their needs can be very challenging. Responses can involve many stakeholders, including law-enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim-service providers, medical staff, courts, schools, and others. The number of agencies involved, the extent of their involvement, the degree by which their roles have been defined by legislation, state policy, or informal agreements all vary by state. To create the most effective response, states can review laws and policies, dialogue with victims and service providers, and identify areas in which rights can be strengthened or more clearly defined to increase legal protections for victims.
All 50 states and the federal government have recognized the importance of rights for crime victims and have passed important legal protections for victims of violent crime. More than half of the states have amended their state constitutions to guarantee the rights of victims. While victims’ rights amendments vary from state to state, most constitutional protections for victims include notification rights; restitution rights; privacy rights; trial and sentencing rights; and other general rights, such as the right to be treated with fairness, dignity, and respect; the right to participate in the criminal-justice process; and the right to a speedy disposition.
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