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Designed
By:
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Pennsylvania’s Victim Bill of
Rights
As a victim of crime in
Pennsylvania you have the
following rights:
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 poor comment to the prosecutor‘s
office on the potential reduction or dropping of any charge or changing
of a plea;
To offer prior comment or to submit a written victim impact statement
for the judges 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;
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, and to be immediately notified if the offender escapes;
In personal injury crimes where the offender is sentenced to a local
correctional facility, to receive notice of release decisions and to
be immediately notified if the offender escapes;
To receive immediate notice of release on bail where the offender is
committed to a local correctional facility for violation of a protection
from abuse order.
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; and
To have assistance in the preparation of, submission of and
follow-up on the final 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 that 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 correctional
agency, with out your written prior consent. The victim’s responsibility
falls to the parent or legal guardian for child victims and to surviving
family member in the case of a homicide.
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