Institutional and Community Corrections-sponsored Community Service Projects to Benefit Crime Victims In Conjunction With National Crime Victims’ Rights Week


Introduction and Overview

Historically, community service has played an important role in sentencing and adjudication, and community and institutional corrections. It can be an important component of the conditions of sentencing to hold offenders accountable for their actions, and to pay back the community in some way for the harm that is caused by crime.

In the past decade, the concept of restorative community service has taken hold in many correctional agencies and communities. Restorative community service is best described as that which is visible, viable, and allows victim input into the types of service that is performed. Increasingly, it is also being utilized to directly benefit organizations that provide services and support to victims of crime.

Increasingly, institutional and community corrections agencies in both the criminal and juvenile justice systems have sponsored community service initiatives that help victim assistance organizations and coalitions commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) each April. The wide range of projects includes support for and sponsorship of victim awareness activities; building memorials that pay tribute to victims of crime at courthouses and in other public venues; sponsoring art projects that result in creative NCVRW public awareness posters, victims’ rights calendars, and coloring books for child victims; and sponsorship of fundraising activities, with proceeds donated to victim assistance organizations.

This summary is designed to offer practical ideas for positive partnerships between correctional agencies and victim assistance organizations that utilize community service projects to promote NCVRW, provide greatly needed support for victim services, and help offenders better understand the impact of crime on victims. Each submission includes a brief summary of key activities, along with contact information for the project’s sponsor.

“Institutional and Community Corrections-sponsored Community Service Projects to Benefit Crime Victims in Conjunction With National Crime Victims’ Rights Week” is published by Justice Solutions, Inc. and the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) Victim Issues Committee. It was written by Anne Seymour, Senior Advisor to Justice Solution and a member of the APPA Board of Directors and Victim Issues Committee. Additional submissions to be included in this publication can be sent directly to Anne Seymour at annesey@erols.com.

Justice Solutions and APPA are grateful to the many agencies that submitted projects for inclusion in this publication, and their willingness to provide guidance to other agencies that seek to promote offender accountability, victims’ rights, and National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each April.

Select a link below to view the submitted projects for National Crime Victims' Rights Week:


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Last Modified:
April 2, 2011

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