Multi-Site Survey of Victims of Crime and Criminal Justice Professionals across Canada
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Table of Contents
- Executive Summary
- 1. Background and Introduction
- 2. Methodology
- 3. Experience of Victims in the Criminal Justice System
- 4. Findings From Criminal Justice Professionals
- 5. Summary
- List of Appendices
- List of Tables
- Table 1: Number of criminal justice professionals interviewed by site size
- Table 2: Number of criminal justice professionals who completed self-administered questionnaires by site size
- Table 3: Probation and parole respondents who completed self-administered questionnaires
- Table 4: Victim services providers included in the survey by site size
- Table 5: Number of interviews with victims by site size
- Table 6: Victim respondent demographics
- Table 7: The crime(s) victim respondent agreed to discuss for this study
- Table 8: Year(s) victim respondent was involved with the criminal justice system as a result of this crime
- Table 9: Disposition of Case to Date of interviews
- Table 10: Sentences for cases where victim reported that the offender pleaded guilty or was convicted
- Table 11: Victim assistance received as a result of crime
- Table 12: Type of victim services providing assistance
- Table 13: Types of assistance received
- Table 14: Victim respondent perceptions of the most helpful assistance received
- Table 15: Source of referrals of victims to victims services
- Table 16: Who initiated the contact: by type of victims services
- Table 17: Victims sense of the best way to help victims find the assistance they need
- Table 18: Length of time until assistance was received by victim, by how contact was initiated
- Table 19: Types of information received by victims where the accused was charged
- Table 20: Types of information received by victims where bail was granted
- Table 21: Types of information received by victims where the case went to trial
- Table 22: Types of information received by victims where the accused was sentenced
- Table 23: Types of information received by victims where the accused was incarcerated
- Table 24: Types of information received by victims about the accused's parole conditions
- Table 25: Types of information victims of crime most want to receive
- Table 26: Bail conditions
- Table 27: Number of victims who felt that their safety was considered in the decision about possible release of the accused
- Table 28: Number of victims who made their concerns with safety known
- Table 29: Number of victims who received help in preparing to testify
- Table 30: How victim(s) received information about victim impact statements (VIS)
- Table 31: Timing of provision of information to victim about VIS
- Table 32: Types of information provided to victims about victim impact statements
- Table 33: Victims' sense of the best way to provide victims of crime with information on victim impact statements
- Table 34: Victims' sense of when victims should receive information about victim impact statements
- Table 35: Services of assistance for victims preparing VIS
- Table 36: Types of assistance victim received in preparing victim impact statement
- Table 37: Timing of VIS submission
- Table 38: Victims' reasons for decision to prepare a victim impact statement (VIS)
- Table 39: Reasons why victims were pleased that they prepared a victim impact statementa
- Table 40: Victims' sense of whether the criminal justice system does a good job or poor job of considering victims of crime
- Table 41: Perceptions of respondents about the role victims should have in the criminal justice process: be informed, consulted, no role)
- Table 42: Respondent perceptions regarding the responsibility of police with respect to victims
- Table 43: Respondent perceptions regarding the Crown Attorney's responsibility to victims
- Table 44: Respondent perceptions of the Court's responsibility to victims
- Table 45: Victim services available in respondent's communit
- Table 46: Types of services provided by victim services providers
- Table 47: Perceptions regarding whether victims of crime face challenges in accessing victim services in respondent's community
- Table 48: Parole and Corrections respondents: Types of victims services provided by your organization
- Table 49: Parole and Corrections respondents: Types of services provided by other victim services organizations to assist victims with the parole process
- Table 50: Respondent perceptions regarding whether victims usually receive adequate information
- Table 51: Respondent perceptions regarding who should provide the following information to victims
- Table 52: Probation and parole respondents: Who provides victims with information after a sentence of probation has been imposed?
- Table 53: Parole and Corrections respondents: Do you generally provide the following information about the offender to victims when they request it?
- Table 54: Parole and Corrections respondents: Information provided to victims
- Table 55: Collaboration of victim services with other victim services and community organizations, as reported by victim services
- Table 56: Collaboration of police with victim services, as reported by police
- Table 57: Reasons Crown Attorneys do not call the victim as a witness in bail decisions, as reported by Crown Attorneys
- Table 58: Obstacles to the consideration of victim safety at bail, as reported by victim services providers and advocacy groups
- Table 59: Use of publication bans on non-sexual offences, as reported by Crown Attorneys and Defence Counsel
- Table 60: Use of screens, closed-circuit television, and video-taped testimony in eligible cases, as reported by criminal justice professionals
- Table 61: Use of support persons in eligible cases
- Table 62: Whether s. 486 (2.3) of the Criminal Code should be expanded to other victims or witnesses or other offences
- Table 63: Ways in which s. 486 (2.3) should be expanded
- Table 64: Whether victims usually submit victim impact statements at sentencing
- Table 65: Best times to inform victims about victim impact statements for use at sentencing
- Table 66: Types of assistance provided for victim impact statements at sentencing, as reported by victim services providers
- Table 67: The most common method of submitting a victim impact statement at sentencing
- Table 68: Respondents' experiences where the Defence Counsel or the accused cross-examined the victim on their victim impact statement
- Table 69: Whether obstacles or problems exist with the use of victim impact statements, as reported by criminal justice professionals
- Table 70: The existing obstacles or problems with victim impact statements, as reported by criminal justice professionals
- Table 71: Types of assistance provided for victim impact statements at parole, as reported by victim services providers
- Table 72: Most common methods of submitting a victim impact statement at parole
- Table 73: Information used by the Parole Board in making conditional release decisions
- Table 74: Use of restitution, as reported by Crown Attorney and Defence Counsel
- Table 75: Perceptions about when restitution enforcement is a concern or a problem
- Table 76: Obstacles to the use of restitution, as reported by victim services and advocacy groups
- Table 77: Perceptions of respondents about whether the victim surcharge is waived more often than it should be
- Table 78: Whether judges generally waive the surcharge without a Defence Counsel request, as reported by Crown Attorneys and Defence Counsel
- Table 79: Circumstances in which a conditional sentence is appropriate
- Table 80: Use of conditions for victim's safety in conditional sentences
- Table 81: Obstacles to the consideration of victim safety in conditional sentences, as reported by victim services and victim advocacy groups
- Table 82: Reported participation in restorative justice approaches
- Table 83: Stage in the restorative justice process in which respondents have participated
- Table 84: Reasons given why respondents have not participated in a restorative justice approach
- Table 85: Respondent perceptions of the victim's involvement in the decision to use restorative justice
- Table 86: Methods employed by probation officers to ensure that conditions of probation are followed
- Table 87: Victim participation in parole or correctional processes
- Table 88: Obstacles to victim participation in the correctional processes
- Table 89: Respondent perceptions of whether criminal justice professionals are adequately informed of provisions to benefit victims
- Table 90: Respondent perceptions of what has been accomplished by the Criminal Code provisions intended to benefit victims
- Table 91: Respondent perceptions of whether there have been any unintended or unexpected consequences to the Criminal Code provision intended to benefit victims
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