This invaluable one-stop reference source supplies students and general readers with historical and current information on the victims' rights revolution in the United States, providing analysis on everything from human rights reports to Supreme Court cases that allows the reader to fully understand these documents.
The Oklahoma City Bombing of 1995 was a horrific event that injured almost 700 people and resulted in the deaths of nearly 170 individuals. These innocent victims were treated in a dismal fashion. Some good did eventually come of this tragedy: this terrorist act was the galvanizing event behind federal reform in victims' rights.
Victims' rights represent the greatest change in the criminal justice system within the last 30 years. Victims' Rights: A Documentary and Reference Guide traces the origins, evolution, and results of the victims' rights movement. It puts victims' rights in a legal, historical, and contemporary context, and comprehensively collects important victims' rights documents in a single volume—perfect for students as well as general readers.
Bringing together dozens of varied documents such as presidential task force reports and recommendations, Supreme Court cases, state constitutions, human rights reports, critical articles, and political documents, this book is an indispensable resource for those seeking to understand the origins and modern consequences of American victims' rights policy. The author's accompanying commentary and analysis helps the reader to gain a complete comprehension of the significance of these documents, while numerous bibliographic sources provide additional resources for interested readers.
Features
• Many primary source documents, such as the President’s Task Force on Victims of Crime
• A focused bibliography follows each chapter
• An index offers easy access to documents and analysis
Highlights
• Covers the Victims' Rights Movement, the laws it has promoted, and the arguments pro and con
• Places victims' rights in both historical and legal context
Douglas E. Beloof is professor of law and founder of the National Crime Victim Law Institute at Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, OR. His published work includes the award-winning book Victims in Criminal Procedure and many articles on victims' rights. He has been presented with the award for Professional Innovation in Victim Services by the United States Attorney General.
Reviews
"Part of a series, this reference by Beloof (Lewis and Clark Law School) provides in a single volume a historical/legal overview of the status of victims' rights in the US and in the process identifies key texts, documents, court cases, history, journal articles, and references for further reading. . . . Summing Up: Recommended."—Choice
"This is a clearly written and informative book on an important subject lacking literature. ... Highly recommended for public and academic libraries."—Library Journal
