Major
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Second Major
Psychology
Minor(s)
Forensic Science
Advisor
Farrell, Chelsea
Advisor Department
Sociology and Anthropology
Date
5-2024
Keywords
Victim Advocate; VINE; District Attorney; Victim Bill of Rights
Abstract
Crime is a major problem that impacts many people across the United States. The media and public commonly focus on the suspects and perpetrators, rather than the victims. This problem contributes to a lack of awareness of victim services. The database developed in this study serves as a resource for people to see what each individual state offers for victim services within their most populated county’s district attorney’s office. In forming this database, I looked at each state’s most populated county and reviewed their web pages for victim services offered by each DA’s office and applied a coding structure as a means of organizing the states into categories based on their resources offered. I used the state of Massachusetts as a baseline for a comparative lens, as I had completed an internship with the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office victim witness advocates. The analysis of the database yielded two maps that provide an overview of my findings of the differences and similarities between states. Map 1 depicts the coding structure (1 through 4) I developed as an organizational method for each state. Map 2 highlights the states that provide web pages dedicated to victims, as well as which states use the Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) system. Based on my research and database, it is evident that victim services are not offered uniformly throughout the U.S. This knowledge demonstrates the need for more consistency of services and a solution to the challenges in accessing important information about victim services.
Presentation