Within the past decade, the State has made considerable progress in recognizing and protecting the rights of victims by enacting the Assistance Program for Victims of Rape and Offenses, the North Carolina Crime Victims Compensation Act, and the Fair Treatment for Victims and Witnesses Act. Nevertheless, victims and their survivors often feel disenfranchised from the criminal justice system. This perceived injustice creates bitterness and frustration among victims and those who work with them in the criminal justice system. The Commission finds that equal treatment for victims can best be accomplished through the enactment of a Victims Rights Amendment to the State Constitution. The right of participating in the prosecution of someone accused of criminally harming the victim should be part of North Carolina's fundamental rights. Adopting the constitutional amendment would grant permanence to victims' participatory rights and invest them with credibility and stability, since Constitutional rights may only be amended by a vote of the people. Numerous background materials and a draft of the proposed amendment are appended.