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:
November 19, 2009
Excerpts from the bi-monthly Public Policy Update available to our
members.
- Laurie Robinson confirmed as Assistant Attorney General
in the Office of Justice Programs.
- House passes Cruise Vessel Safety legislation.
- Wisconsin governor signs bills to protect children.
- Study links childhood physical abuse to arthritis.
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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 ShipsThe 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 PollRead 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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