An Assessment of Victim Service Needs

Abstract

During the past decade various victim-witness programs have literally exploded across the United States. However, despite the unprecedented growth in the number ofprograms, available services to crime victims and witnesses remain largely uneven and fragmented. This study provides the first major effort any jurisdiction has made in providing systematic assessment and planning for the development of comprehensive crime victim-witness services. Detailed descrip tions of the various methods employed in the study's victim projections and the methods used in developing specific program component recommendations are provided. The study concludes with an identification of the program model and a discussion of the implementation and operation of the various program components comprised in the model.