We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself. – Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–1945)
Many important legislative acts of the Crime Victims’ Rights Movement took place in the 1990’s, to include:
1995 • The Crime Victims and Witness Rights Act is enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia in 1995. Among many other important rights, the Act provides that victims should have the right to file for compensation for expenses related to the crime.
• President Clinton signs a comprehensive package of federal victims’ rights legislation as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. The Act includes-
the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which authorizes more than $1 billion in funding for programs to combat violence against women;
establishment of a National Child Sex Offender Registry; and
enhanced sentences for drunk drivers with child passengers.
1996 • Eight states ratify the passage of victims’ rights constitutional amendments—raising the total number of such state constitutional amendments to 29 nationwide.
