VICTIMS AND WITNESSES:
The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) within the U.S. Department of Justice was established by the 1984 Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) to oversee diverse programs that benefit victims of crime. OVC provides substantial funding to state victim assistance and compensation programs -- the lifeline services that help victims to heal.
The Help for Victims site is a topical listing of information sources provided by OVC on a variety of subjects such as "Elder Abuse," "White Collar," and "Stalking." OVC is one of five bureaus and four offices, with grant-making authority, within the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. OVC's address is Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime, 810 7th Street N.W., Washington, DC 20531.
The Crime Victim Rights Act of 2004 created certain rights for victims of crimes. A list of those rights is set forth at this link. The United States Attorneys Offices work with this office to ensure that victims and witnesses are afforded rights under this and other laws. Most United States Attorneys’ Offices have web pages which include a section describing the United States Attorney’s Office Victim and Witness Assistance Program. A list of United States Attorneys Offices is available at this link, which contains links to the web pages of individual United States Attorney’s Offices. Once on the page for the United States Attorney’s Office where a case is filed, look for the “Victim/Witness” link for information about that office’s program. In addition, the Department of Justice Home Page contains a page describing the Department of Justice’s Office of Victims’ Rights Ombudsman. That page can be accessed here. It provides a more detailed description of victim rights under the law, as well as a Department of Justice complaint procedure for citizens to follow if they believe they have not been accorded those rights.
Additional information about United States Department of Justice programs for victims can be found at these websites:
U. S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime
Federal Bureau of Investigation Office for Victim Assistance
As set forth in the Ombudsman’s web page, if you are a crime victim and you believe that a Department of Justice employee violated or failed to provide you with one or more of your rights, you may file a complaint with the Department of Justice. The complaint process is not designed for the correction of specific victims' rights violations, but is instead to request corrective or disciplinary action against Department of Justice employees. See this link for further explanation. Specific forms for use in filing a complaint involving the Office of Consumer Litigation are available at this link. It is recommended that you speak with the Victims' Rights Point of Contact (who is identified on the complaint form) in this office before filing your complaint.
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