Sample Opinion/Editorial Column

“Justice Isn't Served Until Crime Victims Are”

Crime in America has a devastating impact on victims and survivors, neighborhoods, and our society as a whole. Crime in America continually threatens our individual and collective sense of safety and security. And crime in America creates a universal sense of indignity through the realization that any of us, at any time, can be victimized by violence.

This week is the 25th anniversary of National Crime Victims' Rights Week. It is a time to pay tribute to victims and survivors of crime and those who selflessly serve them, and to reflect upon the many accomplishments of the past quarter-century that have made victims' rights and services a reality in our nation. It is a time to recognize that justice isn't served until crime victims are.

In proclaiming the first National Crime Victims' Rights Week in 1981 and then establishing the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime, President Ronald W. Reagan stated, “Our commitment to criminal justice goes far deeper than our desire to punish the guilty or to deter those considering a lawless course. Our laws represent the collective moral voice of a free society – a voice that articulates our shared beliefs about the roles of civilized behavior. Both the observance of Crime Victims' Week and the creation of this Task Force are entirely consistent with principles that lie at the heart of our nation's belief in freedom under law.”

In 1981, there were few victims' rights that offered information, protection, and assistance to those who were hurt by crime, and only one state had a “victims' bill of rights.” Today, there are over 32,000 federal and state statutes and 32 state-level constitutional amendments that define and protect victims' rights, and every state and the District of Columbia today have a “victims' bill of rights.”

There was no federal funding for crime victims that supported the provision of quality victim services. Since then, the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, and the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) have provided billions of dollars to support a wide range of crime victim services that address victims' needs for information, protection, counseling, and help in exercising their rights throughout the criminal and juvenile justice systems.

The handful of victim assistance programs established 25 years ago has grown to include over 10,000 community- and justice system-based programs that help victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, drunk driving, elder abuse, child abuse, hate violence, terrorism, identity theft, and survivors of homicide victims, among others, including (describe victim services in your community).

While these accomplishments are, indeed, impressive, there remain today many challenges to ensuring that crime victims are treated with respect, recognized as key participants within our systems of justice, and afforded services to help them in the aftermath of crime. There are still crime victims who are not informed of their rights, nor engaged as active participants in our justice system. There are still crime victims who remain unaware of a variety of supportive services that can provide help, hope and healing in the aftermath of crime. There are still crime victims who suffer immeasurable physical, emotional, and financial losses, who still wait and wait to receive court-ordered restitution payments from their perpetrators.

Justice isn't served until all crime victims are treated with dignity and compassion by our criminal and juvenile justice systems.

Justice isn't served until crime victims' most basic needs are identified, and that efforts are made to meet these important needs.

Justice isn't served until crime victims are informed of all their rights throughout the justice process – rights that empower them, give them important choices, and offer them opportunities to have voices and choices in their cases, and in their future.

Justice isn't served until crime victims can be assured that their offenders will be held accountable for their crimes.

Justice isn't served until we realize, as a community and as a nation founded on the principles of “equal rights for all,” that violence affects us all, and that victims' rights represent the very foundation upon which our nation was created.

In (community/state), we can be “bystanders” to justice, or we can recognize that justice for one person who is hurt by crime is truly justice for us all. If you or someone you know is a victim of crime, you can seek help. If you or someone you know is concerned about justice and safety in our community, you can help out by volunteering for victim assistance programs.

In (community/state), we serve justice by serving victims of crime. During the Silver Anniversary of National Crime Victims' Rights Week – April 10th to 16th – and throughout the year, let us remember that by helping victims of crime, we help make our neighborhoods, communities and nation stronger and safer. And that by serving crime victims, we are truly serving justice.

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