The Rights of Crime Victims
More than 90% of crime victims who were notified of their right to make an impact statement at sentencing did so. When it came to attending parole hearings, fewer than 20% of crime victims exercised this right. These findings are from a survey conducted by the National Center for Victims of Crime to examine correlations between experiences of victims in the criminal justice system and the strength of state victim's rights laws. More than 1,300 crime victims participated in the survey. Victims were also presented with a list of rights and asked to rate the importance of each one. Topping the list was the right to be informed about whether there was an arrest, rated "very important" by more than 97% of the victims.

For more information, visit:
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/173839.htm