- Notification Assistance®: assist victims in completing and forwarding notification request forms to Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ offices, to court clerks, and other appropriate agencies. This will ensure that the agencies properly notify victims of all court proceedings in which the victims are involved. This includes assisting victims in completing and forwarding notification request forms for plea agreements.
- Liaison Re: Prisoner Status®: assist in the completion and forwarding of notification request forms to local jails and state correctional facilities to ensure that victims are notified of the escape, change of name, transfer, release, or discharge of a prisoner.
- Confidentiality Forms®: assist victims in completing confidentiality request forms (DC-301 form, available through the Supreme Court) and filing them with the appropriate court or agency. These forms help protect from disclosure of victims’ addresses, telephone numbers and places of employment. Staff act as a liaison between the victim and the involved criminal justice agencies to ensure confidentiality of victims and family members. This also includes indicating in the Virginia Common- wealth’s Attorneys Information System (VCAIS) that the victim requests that their address be blocked.
- Criminal Justice Process: support, assistance, and advocacy provided to victims at any stage of the criminal justice process, including post sentencing services and support.
- Support: accompany victims to court, court services unit, magistrate’s office, clerk’s office, and/or to other appropriate criminal justice agencies. This service is different from an escort in that staff provide information and counseling before, during and after the hearing or meeting.
- Explanation of Steps: provide explanations of the overall criminal justice process, as well as detailed explanations of each hearing or step in the process (e.g., bond hearings, motions, preliminary hearing, continuances, grand jury, trial, sentencing, etc.).
- Support: accompany victims to court, court services unit, magistrate’s office, clerk’s office, and/or to other appropriate criminal justice agencies. This service is different from an escort in that staff provide information and counseling before, during and after the hearing or meeting.
- Parole Input: assist with the completion and filing of parole input forms for crimes that occurred prior to January 1, 1995. Offenders who have committed crimes after January 1, 1995 are not eligible for parole. Effective July 1, 2014, the Virginia Parole Board is now required to annually interview and consider all eligible geriatric offenders for conditional release. Eligibility includes any conviction other than a Class 1 felony (capital murder), and an offender who has:
(1) Reached the age of 65 or older and has served at least five years of his or her sentence
(2) Reached the age of 60 or older and has served at least 10 years of his or her sentence
For additional information contact Virginia Parole Board, Victim Services Coordinator at 804-887-8184.
- Escort: Provide victims with escort (i.e., physically go with the victim) to services related to the investigation or adjudication of a criminal case. These services may include escort to and from court, or going with victims to their appointments at various criminal justice agencies. “Escort” does not encompass “Transportation provided by Agency” or “Criminal Justice Process Support”, but all three services could be provided to the same victim. For example, if a staff person drives a victim to court, walks the victim to the courtroom, and stays with the victim during the judicial proceeding, count the victim one time under each service.
Closed Preliminary Hearing: coordinate with the appropriate court personnel to arrange closed preliminary hearings, or make arrangements to have the case held until the end of the court docket.
Closed Circuit TV: coordinate with appropriate court personnel to arrange closed circuit television testimony.