General Rights and Services Available to Victims
- To receive basic information concerning the services to assist you.
- To be notified of certain significant actions and proceedings pertaining to your case, including, in personal injury crimes, the arrest of the suspect and escape from police custody.
- To be accompanied at all public criminal proceedings by a family member, a victim advocate or another person.
- In cases of personal injury crimes, burglary, or driving under the influence involving bodily injury, to submit prior comment to the prosecutor's office on the potential reduction or dropping of any charge or changing of a plea.
- To offer prior comment of submit a written victim impact statement for the judge's consideration at sentencing.
- To recover your losses, to the extent possible, through restitution, compensation through the crime victim's compensation program and the return of property which was seized as evidence when it is no longer needed by the prosecutor.
You have the following rights in personal injury crimes where the offender is sentenced to a state prison:
- To provide prior comment on and to receive notice of release decisions.
- To be immediately notified if the offender escapes;
- To receive notice when an offender is committed to a mental health facility from a state prison and of the discharge, transfer or escape of the offender from the mental health facility.
- To have assistance in the preparation of, submission and follow-up on the financial assistance claims to the Crime Victim's Compensation Board.
Victim's Responsibility
In order for you to receive information and/or notice on matters concerning your case, you must provide a valid address and telephone number to the requesting agency. You are also responsible for providing timely notice of any changes in that information. The information you provide is confidential and may not be disclosed to any person other than a representative of a law enforcement agency, prosecutor's office or corrections agency without your written prior consent. The victim's responsibility fall to the parent or legal guardian for child victims and to a surviving family member in the case of a homicide.For more information about victim rights visit the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency web site.
Source: Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency
