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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.
The results of our 2008-2009 Policy Poll are
available. Read our
summary
.
VOCA (Victims of Crime Act)The National Center is
working to protect the VOCA Fund, the principal source of federal funding for
crime victim compensation and crime victim services.
Read our APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE (7/08).
Ten
Things You Should Know About VOCA
Mary Lou Leary's testimony on VOCA.
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 25 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) After
working for the past two years to secure reauthorization of the Violence Against
Women Act, the National Center has now turned its attention to full funding for
VAWA programs. Read our APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE (07/08).
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 Joseph Biden (D-DE) and Gordon Smith (R-OR),
and signed by 37 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 Federal Crime VictimsThe
National Center is working with Congress to improve the collection of restitution
for federal victims of crime. Legislation to improve the collection of
federally ordered restitution has been introduced in both the Senate and
the House of Representatives. In the Senate, Senators Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and
Charles Grassley (R-IA) have introduced the Restitution for Victims of Crime
Act of 2007. S. 973 contains a number of procedural changes
to address current barriers to the collection of crime victim restitution ordered by
federal courts. It also creates a mechanism to allow prosecutors to prevent defendants
from dissipating or hiding their wealth before to sentencing to avoid
paying restitution. S. 973 has been passed unanimously by the
Senate.
In the House of Representatives,
Congressman Steve Chabot (R-OH) has introduced the Criminal Restitution Improvement Act of 2007. H.R. 845 would
simplify and streamline procedures for collecting restitution at the
federal level. It would also amend the federal notoriety-for-profit law to
withstand constitutional challenges. Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter has introduced H.R. 4110, which parallels
the Dorgan/Grassley measure.
The Subcommittee on
Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, House Judiciary Committee, held a
hearing on these measures on April 3, 2008. Read the National Center's statement
submitted at that hearing.
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
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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