Victims' Assistance Legal Organization, Inc.
8180 Greensboro Drive, Suite 1070, McLean, Virginia 22102-3823
Telephone (703) 748-0811
Facsimile (703) 356-5085

January 1, 2001

Dear Colleague:

This year we mark the 21st anniversary of the commemoration of National
Crime Victims' Rights Week with the theme "Victims' Rights: Reach for the
Stars." As we gather together all across the country to honor victims and those
who serve them, it is a good time to reflect upon our accomplishments, as well
as what lies ahead, as we continue to reach for the stars in our work on behalf
of victims of crime. 


This work began over thirty years ago when pioneers in the field of victim
services reached for something previously inconceivable--the provision of basic
rights within the criminal and juvenile justice systems for innocent victims of
crime. Today, there are over 30,000 laws nationwide that define and protect
victims' rights, as well as over 10,000 national, state, and local organizations
that provide assistance to people who have been hurt by crime. We have made
tremendous progress, but as always, there is more work to be done.

It is our sincere hope that this Resource Guide, developed with the assistance
of the Office for Victims of Crime, will provide ideas and resources to use
during your commemoration of National Crime Victims' Rights Week and
throughout the year. This year we have chosen graphics that remind us of the
reality that long after public attention has faded from a crime scene, the victims
who suffered the harm continue to need and require crucial services, assistance,
and protection throughout the long and painful ordeal that is the aftermath of
crime. As we approach this year's commemoration of National Crime Victims'
Rights Week, let us reach for the stars in working to establish--as a matter of
right--better services, more comprehensive assistance, and consistent
enactment and enforcement of legal rights and protection for all victims of
crime.

Sincerely,

Eric Smith
President

Morna A. Murray
Executive Director