Criminal Justice and Victims' Rights

Paper Summary:

This paper looks closely at the victims' rights movement in the United States. The paper especially looks at the history of the movement - largely from the late 1960s onwards - and considers the dramatic changes in the legal system it has provoked. The paper also delves into the prerogatives of victims today (courtesy of the victims' rights movement) and examines the ways in which victims' rights and their cries for restitution are being enforced across America. Finally, the paper ponders the impact of the movement upon, not only victims, but also upon judges and criminals and looks ahead briefly to what the future might hold.

Table of Contents:
Abstract
Victim's Rights in America: An Exploration

From the Paper:

"It does not take an expert's analysis to lead one to the conclusion that the victims' rights movement has been a great success. The many laws and victims' rights delineated in earlier pages do not have to be recounted here, but they are major advances upon what was once commonplace. At the same time, if Fletcher is correct, many victims' rights groups are now looking to attack the legal rights of defendants even more than they have, including launching campaigns to revise procedural laws pertaining to the admittance of various types of evidence (among other things). It seems probable that such groups are also interested in striking from the books the ability of a judge to use discretionary sentencing for many crimes, replacing this with mandatory minimum sentences. These goals are not necessarily ill-founded, but there is the danger that they lead to the presumption of innocence at the heart of the American criminal justice system being turned on its head."

Sample of Sources Used:

• American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children. (2006). Welcome to the official web site of APSAC. APSAC: American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children. Retrieved September 22, 2006, from <http://apsac.fmhi.usf.edu/>
• Brown Hammond, Susan. (2005). Enforcing and evaluating victims' rights laws. National Conference of State Legislatures: Legisbrief. Retrieved September 22, 2006, from <http://www.ncsl.org/programs/pubs/lbriefs/05LBMar_VictimsRights.pdf#search=%22%22victims%20rights%22%20%2B%20%22laws%22%22>
• Crime Victims for a Just Society. (2006). About CVJS. Crime Victims for a Just Society: CVJS. Retrieved September 22, 2006, from <http://www.crimevictims.net/>
• Edelhertz, Herbert, & Geis, Gilbert. (1974). Public compensation to victims of crime. New York: Praeger Publishers.
• Fattah, Ezzat A. (2001). Victim's rights: Past, present, and future. Ecole Nationale de la Magistrature. Retrieved September 22, 2006, from <http://www.enm.justice.fr/Centre_de_ressources/dossiers_reflexions/oeuvre_justice/victims_rights1.htm>

More papers on Criminal Justice and Victims' Rights:

• Research Paper # 57907 : "Victims' Rights in the United States"
• Essay # 9692 : "In Search of Justice and Accountability"
• Creative Essay # 122006 : "Criminal Justice System"

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