PARTICIPANTS PRESENTING STATEMENTS INCLUDE REPRESENTATIVE MARIO BIAGGI, REPRESENTATIVE WILLIAM S. COHEN, AND REPRESENTATIVE JIM SANTINI. WITNESSES INCLUDE THE DEPUTY ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR OF LEAA, A CORRECTIONS SPECIALIST, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NEW YORK STATE CRIME VICTIMS COMPENSATION BOARD, SEVERAL CRIME VICTIMS OF ALL AGES, A SOCIAL WORKER, AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE NEW YORK CRIME VICTIMS RIGHTS ORGANIZATION. ACCORDING TO LEAA'S SPOKEMAN, VICTIMIZATION STUDIES SHOW THAT THE HIGHEST RATE OF VICTIMIZATION OCCURS IN THE YOUNG AGE GROUPS, WITH EACH OLDER GROUP HAVING PROGRESSIVELY LOWER RATES; PERSONS 65 YEARS OF AGE AND OVER HAVE THE LOWEST RATES. IN THE 'CRIMES OF VIOLENCE CATEGORY,' THE OVERALL RATE IS 32 VICTIMIZATIONS PER 1,000 PERSONS, WHILE THE ELDERLY EXPERIENCE 8 VICTIMIZATIONS PER 1,000. THE ADMINISTRATOR ALSO POINTS OUT THAT THESE LOWER VICTIMIZATION RATES DO NOT MINIMIZE THE SEVERITY OF CRIME'S EFFECTS ON OLDER PEOPLE; MANY ARE VIRTUAL PRISONERS IN THEIR HOMES AND APARTMENTS, LIVING IN CONSTANT FEAR. THE FEAR OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE IS PARTICULARLY DEBILITATING TO THE ELDERLY, AND THE THEFT OF A SOCIAL SECURITY CHECK MAY DEAL A DEVASTATING BLOW TO LIMITED FINANCIAL RESOURCES. IN RESPONSE TO THE PROBLEM, MANY LEAA-FUNDED PROGRAMS FOR ELDERLY VICTIMS OF CRIME ARE UNDERWAY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. NEVERTHELESS, MUCH REMAINS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED IN THIS AREA, WITH PUBLIC SUPPORT VITAL TO THE SUCCESS OF CRIME REDUCTION AND VICTIM COMPENSATION. MATERIAL SUBMITTED BY THE LEAA REPRESENTATIVE IS APPENDED. (LWM)