Q: What is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week?
A: The Office for Victims of Crime at the Department of Justice has recognized National Crime Victims’ Rights Week every April since 1981. This year it’s April 23-27, and the theme is Victims’ Rights: Every Victim, Every Time. Previous themes have been Strength in Unity, and Victims’ Rights: American Values. While the theme of the week changes, the mission remains the same. The purpose of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is to remember the victims of crime, create awareness, and push for victims’ rights. Millions of Americans and thousands of Iowans fall victim to senseless acts of crime each year. National Crime Victims’ Rights Week brings this subject to the forefront so we can assist crime victims in any way possible. As your Senator, I have fought to ensure that victims of crime are not forgotten. As a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, I’ve worked to strengthen federal laws and direct resources to efforts to prevent crime from occurring in the first place. National Crime Victims’ Rights Week encourages Americans to remember victims of crime and calls upon our nation’s leaders to ensure the protection of victims’ rights.
Q: What is being done to protect victims’ rights?
A: I have advocated victims’ rights in several different pieces of legislation. In 1999, I supported a bill to amend the Constitution to include a victims’ bill of rights. This year, I reintroduced a bill with Sen. Byron Dorgan -- the Restitution for Victims of Crime Act of 2007, S. 973 – to help make sure that criminals actually pay the restitution they have ordered to pay. It addresses the fact that each year, victims are shortchanged on restitution to which they are entitled. Over $45 billion of court ordered restitution and federal criminal debt was outstanding in 2006 alone. Victims of crime deserve better than that. The provisions within S. 973 provide federal officials with the funding and authority to better make sure victims receive the compensation they are due. Under the bill, the Federal Debt Collections Procedure Act would be changed to prevent criminals from spending or hiding illicit gains. Oftentimes victims must wait years to receive full compensation or any compensation at all. The bill provides for a quicker turnaround by clarifying the courts’ role in issuing court-ordered federal criminal restitution. Another key element of this bill would enable the Attorney General and the Department of Justice to get involved earlier in the process to preserve assets for restitution before criminals can spend away money that’s due to crime victims. All together, these changes should remove many of the road blocks victims have experienced on their path to restitution. My bipartisan legislation is supported by several crime victim advocacy groups, as well as the Department of Justice. I hope to see the Senate act on the proposal and help get victims what they deserve.