CA Victim's Bill of Rights Act of 2008: Marsy's Law:

http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Divisions_Boards/boph/marsys_law.html

Find Out the Status of Your Offender After Conviction:

1. National Victim Notification Network

A. This service allows crime victims to obtain timely and reliable information about criminal cases and the custody status of offenders 24 hours a day. Victims and other concerned citizens can also register to be notified by phone, email, or TTY device when an offernder's custody status changes.

www.vinelink.com

B. This document contains information about victim's rights, services, and criminal and juvenile justice for all 50 states.

www.vinelink.com/docs/VictimResources.pdf

C. All states give victims of crime a right to be notified of the offender's escape and of any parole hearing or parole release. Most states also notify victims of other types of release or transfer. A state may give victims the right to be notified of any or all of the following:

• Escape
• Recapture
• Earliest possible release date
• Transfer to another prison
• Change in security status
• Transfer to a mental institution
• Death of the offender in prison
• Post-conviction DNA testing
• Parole application
• Parole hearing
• Parole release
• Release upon completion of sentence
• Pardon/clemency application
• Pardon/clemency hearing
• Pardon/clemency release

www.vinelink.com/docs/WhentheOffenderisBehindBars.pdf

 

2. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

A. Office of Victim and Survivor Rights and Services - Lifer parole process, request for adult offfender information, etc.

http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Victim_Services/index.html

B. Parole Hearing Schedule - For lifers by month.

http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Divisions_Boards/BOPH/hearing_schedule.html

C. Victims Can Request a Copy of Parole Hearing Transcripts.

www.cdcr.ca.gov/Divisions_Boards/BOPH/psh_transcript.html.

D. Request For Victim Services and Restitution Collection - CDCR form 1707. Includes notification of release request, request for special conditions of parole, request for restitution collection.

www.cdcr.ca.gov/Victim_Services/docs/victim_form.pdf

3. California Office of Attorney General - Victim Services

Includes FAQ's, resources, victim notification, victim rights including those regarding parol hearings.

http://ag.ca.gov/victimservices/resources.php

 

A Victim's Guide to the California Parole Hearing Process - by the Crime Victims Assistance Network Foundation

Table of Contents

1. What is a parole hearing?
2. Where is the parole hearing held?
3. When is the parole hearing held?
4. Who goes to the parole hearing?
5. What happens if I want to attend the parole hearing?
6. What if I don't want to attend the hearing?
7. How do I prepare for the parole hearing?
8. The decision if the inmate is denied or granted parole.
9. A guide to preparing your impact statement.
10. Resources.

http://www.ican-foundation.org/resources/publications

 

CONTACT YOUR STATE'S PAROLE BOARD

To find your state's "Parole Board" and "Department of Correction", use these search words and the name of your state in your search engine.

 

Victim Compensation and Restitution Recovery:

1. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Request for Victim Services and Restitution Collection - CDCR form 1707. Includes notification of release request, request for special conditions of parole, request for restitution collection.

www.cdcr.ca.gov/Victim_Services/docs/victim_form.pdf

 

2. California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board

This resource can help pay bills and expenses to those injured or threatened with physical injury in a violent crime, such as:

• Medical and dental treatment
• Mental health services
• Income loss
• Funeral and burial expenses
• Loss of support, for dependents when a victim is killed or disabled because of a crime
• Job retraining
• Home and vehicle modifications
• Home security
• Relocation
• Insurance co-payments
• Crime scene cleanup
• Medically necessary equipment such as a wheelchair
• Childcare services, when a caregiver is killed or disabled because of a crime

The fund receives 100% of its revenue from restitution fines, diversion fees, restitution orders, and penalities paid by offenders convicted of crimes.

www.vcgcb.ca.gov/

Video overview of services provided:

http://www.vcgcb.ca.gov/resources/video.aspx

 

3. Were You the Victim of a Crime and the California Court Ordered You Restitution?

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation may have collected money for you. Contact the Office of Victim and Survivor Rights and Services to inquire if you have unclaimed money from a direct order of restitution. To update your address or to obtain additional information, call us toll free at 1-877-256-6877.

Spanish: Si usted fue victima de un crimen y la corte le otorgo restitucion, es posible que el Departamento de Correcciones y Rehabilitacion haya recibido dinero a su favor. Llame a la oficina de Victimas y Sobrevivientes para preguntar si usted tiene restitucion que no se haya reclamado. Para obtener mas informacion, IIame gratis al 1-877-256-6877.

 

Non-Profit Victim Assistance:

1. VAonline.org - A portal into the offices of hundreds of organizations, agencies, institutions and private services around the globe that provide victim assistance.

http://www.vaonline.org/index.html

2. Texans For Equal Justice - You may submit requests for online parole protest campaigns in every state in the US. You may go to the website and help other survivors by sending automatic parole protest letters. On the site, click on the "Parole Protests" button.

         www.texansforequaljustice.org

3. iCAN Foundation - Provides resources, referrals, information and assistance to victims of violent crime, their family and friends. iCAN provides educational presentations on a variety of subjects regarding victims of violent crime, crime prevention and risk reduction.

          www.ican-foundation.org

4. Crime Victims Action Alliance - An affiliate organization to the iCAN Foundation, which works to improve and increase the rights and services to victims of violent crime. The Crime Victims Action Alliance holds those who have been entrusted to protect the public's safety accountable for their actions and supports those who have a proven record of supporting victims rights, services and improving public's safety. They believe that victims have been hurt enough and that we must strive to do no further harm.

          www.cvactionalliance.org 

5. Justice For All - Through private citizen and corporate membership exerts the social and legislative influence necessary to effect positive change in the criminal justice system.

www.jfa.net

6. MurderVictims.com - This resource provides the following:

• Victims' Voice Memorials - Survivors of murder victims can post testimony telling their stories and what happened to them and their loved ones.
• List of resources where the murder remains unsolved.
• Victim Impact Statements - Guidebooks by state, Canada and Australia, plus six sample statements.
• Parole Protest Help - Advice for keeping your killer in prison when coming up for parole, plus guidelines for writing an effective Parole Protest Letter.

http://www.murdervictims.com

 

7. The National Center For Victims of Crime - Their mission is to forge a national commitment to help victims of crime rebuild their lives. They are dedicated to serving individuals, families and communities harmed by crime. This resource provides the following:

• Direct services and resources to victims of crime across the country
• Advocates for laws and public policies that secure rights, resources, and protections for crime victims
• Delivers training and technical assistance to victim service organizations, counselors, attorneys, criminal justice agencies, and allied professionals serving victims of crime
• Fosters cutting-edge thinking about the impact of crime and the ways in which each of us can help victims of crime rebuild their lives.

http://www.ncvc.org

8. National Center For Missing Adults - Operates as the national clearinghouse for missing adults, providing services and coordination between various governmental agencies, law enforcement, media, and the families of missing adults. They also maintain a national database of missing adults determined to be endangered or otherwise at risk.

www.theyaremissed.org

 

9. National Organization of Victims of Juvenile Lifers (NOVJL) - Support victim's rights when violent offenders are juveniles. Proactive with public policy and legislation permitting sentencing of extremely violent juveniles to long term sentences in criminal (adult) courts.

www.jlwopvictims.org

10. Victioria Homicide Victims Support Group - A Victoria Australia support, assistance, and advocacy group for the families and friends of homicide victims. This resource provides the following:

• Retreat housing for homicide survivors
• Website memorials
• Liaise with police, government and private support/welfare agencies
• Court support and media relations
• Compensation forms and victim impact statements

http://www.victoriahomicide.com.au/

 

Mass Media Help:

America's Most Wanted - Missing Persons - Loved ones of missing persons (young and adult) can submit a video telling their story. After verification of information by law enforcement, the story will be posted on the America's Most Wanted (AMW) website and could possibly air on national television. Go to the link below and click on "My Story", then "My Story Home." Click on "Submission Guidelines" (for video submission instructions); then click on "Video Submission Form" (which will accompany the completed video to AMW).

Although the final video will be approximately 60-90 seconds, the more video received, the better the chances for airing. AMW will do the final editing.

        www.amw.com

Books:

1. "No Room For Doubt" by Angela Dove - A compelling account of a 'real-life' homicide and its aftermath. Angela Dove writes about her step-mother's brutal murder, meticulously recreating the course of the investigation and its chilling effect on those whose lives were tainted by this crime. 

The heroine in this case is Jacque MacDonald, Debi Whitlock's mother, who vowed to find her daughter's killer. MacDonald parlayed her grief and despair over her daughter's death into a television show, "The Victims' Voice", to help other California crime victim's families cope with the pain she knew all too well. For nearly two decades MacDonald immersed herself in the overlapping worlds of crime, violence, death and grief, determined to do some good in the name of her daughter. Her efforts won her a National Crime Victims Award from the US Dept. of Justice in 2007, and in May 2009, the California Governor's Advocacy Award.

            www.noroomfordoubt.com

            www.angeladove.com

Crime Statistics:

1. The Disaster Center - Provides US crime statistics for the whole country, by state, and by community from 1960-2006.

http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/

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