Assignment:
Criminal Justice Response to Victims and Crime
When victimized by crime, the ability to remedy the associated loss-whether economic, physical, or emotional-has taken many forms. In earlier centuries, simple revenge or restitution through direct repayment within a community or family may have been the norm. Now, societal progress has led to forms of restitution defined by laws and governments.
When an offender is unable to repay an economic loss to a victim, which is often the case, other entities may fill that gap, such as insurance companies, charities, or even government programs. Likewise, governments may assist victims with the associated costs of engaging with the judicial process to see a case through to completion. This week, you focus on various programs that help compensate victims. In addition, you propose the development of a program designed to assist victims in a community.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Differentiate between U.S. and foreign crime victim compensation programs
- Apply components from foreign crime victim compensation programs to U.S. crime victim compensation programs
- Develop a victim-focused criminal justice program in a community or professional environment
Discussion: Crime Victim Compensation Programs
Every state in the United States has crime victim compensation programs. Crime victim compensation programs assist victims by providing restitution and/or reimbursing costs resulting from crime. The programs reimburse for medical costs, legal fees, mental health counseling, funeral and burial costs, loss of property, and lost wages or loss of support. In addition to money, the programs provide services like crisis intervention, counseling, emergency shelter, criminal justice advocacy, and emergency transportation. Victims must generally cooperate with law enforcement and the district attorney to be eligible. In this Discussion, you compare victim compensation programs among states countries.
To prepare:
1. Review the "National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards" website. Focus on the Program Directory and State Links section.
2. Locate different crime victim compensation programs throughout the United States.
3. Select one crime victim compensation program in the United States.
4. Search the Internet or visit the "Directory of International Crime Victim Compensation Programs" website to research a foreign country's victim compensation program.
5. Select a foreign country's victim compensation program and compare it to the compensation programs in the United States.
Post a response to the following:
1. Describe the United States and foreign compensation programs you selected.
2. Explain the differences between the two programs.
3. Explain how at least one component of the foreign country's program might be applied to programs in the United States and/or in your home state. Be specific.