Twenty years ago there were virtually no crime-victim service programs, and now there are at least 5,000 such programs; evidence indicates they have become a permanent part of the criminal justice system. Many publicly operated programs are administered by prosecutors' offices, and others operate within police departments or are independent city or county agencies. There are also some privately run services for victims. Grass-roots groups were early supporters and advocates for rape victims and battered women; they were operated without government funding. As the criminal justice system has become more responsive to victims and as Federal and State funding has become available to support their efforts, private groups have worked more closely with public agencies. Evaluations of these programs show that they often do not achieve their goals. Although the most common needs reported by crime victims are for improved household security and financial assistance, relatively few programs provide either kind of support. Existing programs reach only a small percentage of victims, usually because victims do not know about the availability of the services. There is a dearth of research that evaluates the effect of support services, particularly on the emotional trauma victims experience. 3 notes and 26 references