Third parties

by Leslie Sebba

Recent years have seen a heightened awareness of the plight of victims of crime and of their neglect by the traditional criminal justice system with its bureaucratic and institutional processes. This concern for the victim has been shared by diverse groups, including humanists, conservative "law and order" politicians, feminists, and grassroots community advocates. This combination of forces has stimulated a mass of legislative reform at both the federal and state levels. Many jurisdictions have adopted a "Bill of Rights" for the victim; public funds have been established to compensate...