Victim and Witness Protection Act
definition: In 1982, Congress passed the first federal legislation to protect victims' rights in the criminal justice system, the Victim and Witness Protection Act (VWPA). The purpose of the VWPA was to improve the treatment of victims and witnesses in the criminal justice system by protecting them from harassment and retaliation, keeping them informed about the status of ongoing cases, providing them opportunities for greater participation in the case proceedings, referring them to appropriate resources for financial and emotional assistance, and, in some cases, providing them with restitution. [Source: Encyclopedia of White-Collar and Corporate Crime; Victim and Witness Protection Act]
date: 1982, 1984
broader: victimology
broader: legal response to violent crime
type: Concept

victimology
type: Concept
narrower: Victim and Witness Protection Act

laws
type: Collection
type: ConceptGroup
member: Victim and Witness Protection Act

legal response to violent crime
type: Concept
narrower: Victim and Witness Protection Act