|
|
Prepared Remarks of Attorney General John Ashcroft Thank you, Deborah, for that introduction. Also, thanks to John Gillis, the Office of Justice Programs and its Office for Victims of Crime for this event that celebrates and honors the efforts of so many worthy citizens. It seems like only yesterday we were all gathered together. And for those of you who gathered with us last night for the candlelight vigil, literally it was yesterday. To paraphrase the great New York Yankee, Yogi Berra, I promise this will not be d‚j… vu all over again for you. But when it comes to the victims of crime in America, there cannot be too many moments of remembrance, or too many commitments of support. I am honored to be here with you, and to congratulate our award winners and celebrate the work all of you undertake on behalf of crime victims. One of the highest goals I have set for the Department of Justice is to ensure that the rights of victims are recognized and protected, and that those responsible for crime are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. For justice to prevail in our ongoing fight against crime, we must first do all that we can to prevent criminal acts. That is exactly what we are doing. Today, criminal victimization is at its lowest level in 30 years. The rate of violent and property crime -23 million such crimes in 2002-is almost half that of 1973, the year of the first national victimization survey. But when crimes are committed, our first duty is to pursue, prosecute and punish those people who commit the crimes. We must show an equally strong commitment to achieve justice for the victims. We are - all of us - committed to justice. It is this commitment that is turning promise into reality. It is taking the best of intentions and transforming them into bold action. It is harnessing the power to change the face of things once thought unchangeable. We are working together to build a criminal justice system that meets the needs of victims. Through the Victims of Crime Act, or VOCA, we have the Crime Victims Fund. This year alone, we will award approximately $542 million from the Crime Victims Fund to compensate crime victims and provide vital services and financial assistance to them in their time of need. Through President Bush's one billion dollar "Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology" Initiative, the Justice Department's National Institute of Justice is helping forensic labs across the country expand their capacity to use DNA technology to serve victims well and to solve crimes quickly. Through the Justice Department's Task Force for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, we are giving faith-based organizations an equal opportunity to provide comprehensive support to victims. Through our fight to combat human trafficking, the Justice Department is pursuing and prosecuting those predators who lure or kidnap the vulnerable women and children to our country, and then brutally exploit them. We are equally committed to ensuring that services are available to the victims of human trafficking. Last year, we awarded almost $10 million to organizations that provide services such as emergency medical attention, food and shelter, vocational and English language training, mental health counseling, and legal support. Finally, the Bush Administration was the first Administration to support The Victims' Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to protect the rights of crime victims. Any effort to amend our Constitution must be undertaken with great care. But this amendment strikes the proper balance in protecting victims' rights while ensuring fair and just due process. The Victims' Rights Amendment is again under consideration on Capitol Hill. I hope that Congress sees to its passage. Crime victims have already been victimized by the criminals; they should not be victimized a second time by the justice system. Together, we are accomplishing much in the cause of justice for crime victims. We can do more. And we are. The Justice Department has been working with victims' advocacy groups across the country to identify ways we can improve the law and the performance of the Department to promote and ensure victims' rights. Today, I am extending an invitation to the victims' rights community to join me and other Justice Department officials in the coming days for a policy development and implementation conference. We will discuss specific, planned improvements that will give victims greater input in the criminal-justice process, provide victims with better information in their cases, and support victims' services. Too often, crime victims' voices are stifled. We must ensure they are heard. Today, I am announcing steps that will give crime victims a more equal footing in the justice system. For example, I have directed that guidelines used by federal prosecutors be updated and revised. The new and revised guidelines, called the Attorney General's Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance, will give new voice to crime victims in the courts and throughout the criminal justice system. Federal prosecutors will be required to obtain relevant information from victims that prosecutors will use with the courts that are considering conditions of release for defendants. The guidelines will also encourage prosecutors to inform the court of victims' views during pre-trial release proceedings in cases involving crimes of violence. The revised guidelines will encourage federal prosecutors to assist all victims - not just victims of violence or sexual abuse - in making victim-impact statements. These guidelines are prescriptive and binding. I expect federal prosecutors, as well as all federal justice personnel who have contact with victims, will adhere to them. And I hope that they serve as a model for state and local justice systems. Too often, crime victims do not have enough information. We will give them information about the prosecution of the defendant at whose hands they suffered. For example, the Department has already developed a computerized Victim Notification System (VNS) so that prosecutors can notify victims of events, such as hearings schedules and changes in the offender's custodial status. Now we will increase the effectiveness of this tool by making it mandatory that prosecutors' offices inform victims of federal crimes of the most important stages in the criminal process, such as the date of trial, the verdict, the date and outcome of sentencing, and the date the offender is released from prison. Too often, compassion and services are lacking for victims. We will provide them with more. The Justice Department is leading President Bush=s Family Justice Center Initiative, an effort to develop community centers that offer comprehensive services for domestic violence victims in single locations. Too often, victims of domestic violence must seek help in a fragmented system of agencies offering related but uncoordinated services. Victims often spend their time traveling from one place to another, forced to recount their stories of brutality and fear many times to many people. In the end, they feel frustrated and may never receive the assistance they need. Victims deserve real help and straight answers; not red tape and the run-around. Also, the Justice Department is committed to increasing collection of criminal debt. Victims will benefit by recovering money owed as restitution, and from critical services funded by money paid into the Crime Victims' Fund. Currently, billions of dollars of criminal fines and restitution have gone unpaid, in some cases because criminal defendants have hidden their assets. These criminals must be held accountable. These efforts are built on the work of the people we are gathered here to honor today:
I congratulate each of you for your dedication to the cause of justice. These men and women epitomize the efforts all of you undertake every day to see justice done. You are bound by a shared courage, compassion and commitment to do what is needed to fulfill the promise of justice to crime victims. May our resolve to fulfill the promise of justice remain as strong and as unwavering as the commitment we have witnessed from those we honor today. Thank you for your service and your sacrifice. May God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America. # # # |
|
