The National Center works to advance laws
and policies that create resources and secure rights and protections for
victims at the federal and state levels.
Crime Victims Fund Preservation Act S. 1340 / H.R. 3402This bill would establish minimum levels of
disbursements from the Crime Victims Fund (VOCA Fund) for the next
five years, increasing the support for crime victim services.
The bill is sponsored by Senators
Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Mike
Crapo (R-ID), and by Representatives Jim Costa (D-CA) and Ted Poe
(R-TX).
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Policy Update:
July 30, 2009
Excerpts from the bi-monthly Public Policy Update
available to our members.
- Senator Leahy introduces the Personal
Data Privacy and Security Act of 2009.
- New York law prohibits workplace
discrimination against domestic violence victims.
- Brennan Center for Justice report
assesses language services for non-native speakers in state courts.
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Federal Funding for Crime VictimsThe House
and Senate have begun work on the appropriations bills for Fiscal Year
2010. See our summary.
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VOCA (Victims of Crime Act)The National Center is working to
raise the cap on the VOCA Fund, the principal source of federal funding for
crime victim compensation and crime victim services.
Ten
Things You Should Know About VOCA
Mary Lou Leary's testimony on VOCA (4/28/09).
The VOCA Fund has champions in both the Senate and the House
of
Representatives. In the Senate, a letter to appropriators was circulated by
Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Mike Crapo (R-ID), and signed by 30 other
Senators.
In the House of
Representatives, a letter to appropriators was circulated
by Congressmen Jim Costa (D-CA) and Ted Poe (R-TX), co-chairs of the
Congressional Victim's Rights Caucus.
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) The
National Center also works to secure full funding for programs that address
violence against women.
VAWA funding has significant support in both the Senate
and the House of Representatives.
In the Senate, a letter to
appropriators was circulated by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Mike Crapo (R-ID),
and signed by 39 others.
In the House, a letter to appropriators was circulated by the
Victim's Rights Caucus and the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues, and
signed by 123 members.
Restitution for Crime VictimsThe National
Center is working with Congress to improve the collection of restitution
for victims of crime. Legislation to allow past-due state restitution
orders to be collected from a defendant's federal income tax refund has been
introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressmen Erik Paulsen (R-MN),
Artur Davis (D-AL), and Ted Poe (R-TX). Read the letter
of support
submitted by the National Center and
our partners.
Video VoyeurismOur popular listing of video voyeurism laws was
recently updated. Read it here.
Justice for Victims on Cruise Ships
The National Center has joined forces
with International Cruise Victims, Inc., and other national partners to
secure justice for victims of crime on cruise ships. Together, we are supporting
the Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act of
2009 (S. 558/ HR 3360). This bill would impose a number
of safety and reporting standards on cruise ships. S. 558 has been approved by the
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. HR 3360 has been approved by the
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. We urge the full House and Senate to
give final passage to this legislation.
New Resource: Victims' Right to Speedy Trial
Find out where
your state stands in giving crime victims a right to speedy trial.
Download our issue
overview and state-by-state comparison chart.
Public Policy Poll
Read the results of our latest public policy survey. Learn what issues victim advocates
care about most. National Center is working to protect the VOCA Fund, the
principal source of federal funding for crime victim compensation and crime
victim services.
National Center Lauds Senators Crapo and Leahy
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The National Center, together with other national crime
victim organizations, held a Capitol Hill reception to honor Senators Mike
Crapo (R-IL) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) for their work to protect the
Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Fund.
News Release
Photo
Gallery
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Other policy
activities of the National Center.
Issues
Find out more about key policy issues
affecting
victims of crime.
Parallel Justice
The National Center believes justice for
victims is more than the arrest and adjudication of offenders. Learn more .
Related Publications
 The Model Stalking Code
Revisted
Responding to the New
Realities of Stalking
Since the publication of NIJ's 1993
Model Stalking Code, we have learned more about the impact and prevalence
of stalking. This new model code includes statutory language and
accompanying commentary to help policymakers, advocates, criminal justice
professionals and others create stronger, more effective stalking laws and
protocols.
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Bringing Victims and Victim Service Providers
into Reentry Planning in New Jersey
 Offenders
are being released from prison in record numbers, and the majority are
returning to their communities burdened by complex problems. In response
to these challenges, fresh approaches to reentry have begun to
emerge--most notably, multi-agency, multidisciplinary
partnerships--including approaches that actively involve victims and
victim service providers. This report recounts the conclusions of a
series of focus groups in New Jersey attended by pracitioners (victim
advocates and other service providers) and victims (homicide survivors and
domestic violence victims).
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This final
report of the National Center's assessment of victims services in Maryland
for the Governor's Office on Crime Control and Prevention contains 41
specific recommendations for improving Maryland's response to victims of
crime. While written specifically for Maryland, many of the findings and
recommendations have broader applicability.
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Our Vulnerable Teenagers:
Their Victimization, Its Consequences, and Directions for Prevention and
Intervention
A joint report with the National Council on Crime. |
Provides legislative recommendations and protocols
addressing victim impact statements. Contains a review of federal and
state statutes, model victim impact statements, and practical tips to
enhance services to victims.
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