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.
Afternoon on Capitol Hill
Coming to the National Center's 2009
National Conference? Plan to stay
for the Afternoon on Capitol Hill, June 24 from 1:00 - 5:00
pm.
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Policy Update:
April 9, 2009
Excerpts from the bi-monthly Public Policy Update
available to our members.
- National Criminal Justice Commission proposed in Senate.
- Utah enacts victims' rights legislation.
- Kentucky passes broad cyber-safety bill.
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Federal Funding for Crime VictimsPresident
Obama has released his budget proposal for Fiscal year 2010. See our summary.
The National Center
testified in April of 2009 on the importance of the Crime Victims Fund,
also called the VOCA Fund. Read our testimony.
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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 Victims
The 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).
Justice for Victims on Cruise ShipsThe National
Center has joined forces with International Cruise Victims to secure justice for
victims of crime on cruise ships. Together, we are supporting the Cruise Line
Accurate Safety Statistics Act, introduced by Congressman Chris Shays (R-CT) and
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). H.R. 5707 would require that serious
crimes against Americans on cruise ships, or missing person
incidents, be promptly reported to authorities within four hours. Crime and
missing person statistics would also be reported quarterly. The bill would also
require cruise ships to have sufficient procedures and equipment to
conduct investigations of crimes on board. This legislation would also guarantee
that victims know where to turn in the event of a serious crime that occurs
while they are outside of the United States by requiring cruise tickets sold in
this country to include a listing of all U.S. embassies and consulates in each
country the ship will visit during the voyage.
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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