Crime victims can become lost in a justice system that is geared to prosecuting criminals. But during the last three decades, there has been increasing sensitivity to the needs and rights of crime victims on the part of the criminal justice system.

California was the first state to pass legislation that provided financial help for crime victims. In 1965, the state implemented the Victims of Crime Program to allow victims to be reimbursed for monetary losses suffered while recovering from physical and emotional trauma that resulted from violent crime. In 1979, the Legislature established funding for rape crisis and victim/witness centers to provide support to victims, and in 1982, California voters passed an initiative called Proposition 8, or The Victims' Bill of Rights. Proposition 8 recognized the rights of victims in criminal justice proceedings and provided victims the right to speak at sentencing and parole hearings. Proposition 115, known as the Crime Victims' Justice Reform Act, was passed by the California voters in 1990. Proposition 115 benefitted crime victims by reducing the number of times crime victims must testify, promoting speedy trials, increasing sentences and punishment and requiring reciprocal discovery of evidence. All of this activity resulted largely from a grassroots movement of crime victims reasserting control over their own lives.

The Crime Victims' Handbook was written especially for California's crime victims and witnesses. If you are a victim or witness, this handbook describes the process that you may go through as part of the criminal justice system. It also advises you of your rights and of the state and local services that may be available to assist you. In addition, you will find definitions of legal and law enforcement terms in the Glossary that may be useful to you.

If you are a crime victim, witness, or victim survivor... help is available through many of the resources listed in this publication. We hope this information will be of benefit to you and wish you the best.

Attorney General's Office Crime and Violence Prevention Center State of California