VII

VII. Recommendations

Forms and Documents: The Committee agreed to recommend a prototype victim information document whereby individual law enforcement agencies can affix their name and distribute to victims (as outlined in statute).

Recommendations:

Law enforcement agencies should document by the victim’s signature or some other means that the victim has been provided a copy of the initial incident report of his case and a document which: describes the rights the State grants victims in criminal cases; describes the responsibilities of victims in exercising these rights; lists local victim assistance and social service providers; provides information on eligibility and application for victims compensation benefits; and provides information about the rights of victims and witnesses who are harassed or threatened (see appendix E: Victim Rights Information Form);

The form should be in duplicate with a copy going to the victim and the original placed in the case file and copied to those who need a copy (see appendix E: Victim Rights Information Form);

The form should include telephone numbers of those service provider agencies or entities at the local level that can be identified, the Crime Victims’ Ombudsman and the Division of Victim Assistance (see appendix E: Victim Rights Information Form);

The form should include the victim’s name, address, home telephone number, work telephone number, a pager number, and an alternate contact person with the same information(see appendix E: Victim Rights Information Form);

The appropriate place for victims to update any changes in victim information is the last agency with which the victim had contact;

Law enforcement agencies should develop a routing form for inclusion in the case file (see appendix E: Victim Rights Information Form); and,

The Victim Impact Statement for general sessions and family courts should include all the requirements of South Carolina Code Section 16-3-1545 a form that solicits pertinent information regarding the offense that may include:

victim’s personal information and supplementary contact information;
an itemization of the victim’s economic loss and recovery from any insurance policy or other source; details of physical or psychological injuries, or both, including their seriousness and permanence;
identification of psychological services requested or obtained by the victim;
a description of any changes in the victim’s personal welfare or family relationships; and,
any other information the victim believes to be important and pertinent

OPTIONAL RECOMMENDED ITEMS FOR INCLUSION IN VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENTS: Statements should include, but not limited to (see appendix F: Samples of Victim Impact Statement(s):

green border;

county of conviction; petition, warrant, or indictment numbers;

offense(s);

date of sentence;

offender’s name, date of birth and social security number;

identify if compensation has been applied for with the Division of Victim Assistance (DOVA);

status of victim (child, incapacitated, power of attorney, etc.);

determine whether victim desires to be notified of post-adjudication proceedings;

victim’s social security number and driver’s license number (optional);

statement of purpose of the Victim Impact Statement;

disclaimer listing the victim’s responsibilities; and,

determine whether victim desires to be present in court.

Personnel and Training: The Committee agreed that the purposes of the Committee are: to formulate recommendations and identify generic position criteria; to provide a sample list of resources for use by agencies and entities charged with victim assistance responsibilities; and to establish a plan to determine existing training and short and long term training goals.

Recommendations:

The Committee recommends development and dissemination of a packet including job descriptions (see appendix C), guidelines, cover letters, prototype forms, and a comprehensive list of items needed as "resources for the job,"(see appendix D).

The Division of Victim Assistance (DOVA) in the Office of the Governor should be responsible for development of initial training for entities affected by the legislation. The first training sessions should: target individual municipal and county administrators, occur as soon as practical, utilize teleconferencing, utilize consistent speakers, include sample forms and guidelines, and include segments on legislation overview, victim notification and IVIS; and,

The Committee recommends studying the possible establishment of certification/ recertification programs.

Revenue and Distribution: The Committee agreed to maintain a singular focus on the issue of revenue and distribution.

Recommendation:
The Committee recommends that local officials at all levels coordinate with individual municipal and county officials and administrators to establish a course of action that allows those agencies with limited resources to coordinate with those agencies with ample resources to provide comprehensive delivery of victim services.