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