The Issue
It is not uncommon for the rights of a victim to be overlooked or ignored when the person who committed the crime
is found "not guilty by reason of insanity" or is otherwise ordered to receive treatment from the mental health
system. Yet efforts to improve outcomes for people with mental illness in the criminal justice system rarely
consider the needs of the people who are the victims of the crime committed by people with a mental illness. As a
result, victims of a crime committed by people with a mental illness often find themselves victimized again by a
process that leaves them feeling uninformed, without opportunities for meaningful participation, unprotected, and
angry about the apparent lack of accountability.
The Response
The Council of State Governments (CSG), with a grant from the
Office of Victims of Crime (OVC), part of the
Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, will
help state and local government officials better serve people victimized by offenders with a mental illness. CSG is
working with OVC and a bipartisan group of leading practitioners, policymakers, and victim advocates to:
- Determine what services, policies, and laws key stakeholders agree should be in place to protect the rights
of--and to ensure proper response to--victims of a crime committed by people with a mental illness
- Promote awareness of the unique challenges that people who have been victimized by people with a mental
illness face; and
- Disseminate information to federal, state, and local officials attempting to improve supports and services for
this unique component of the crime victim population.
Resources
Click the links below for more information on Consensus Project resources for policymakers and practitioners working
to improve the response to people who have been the victims of crimes committed by people with mental illness or
contact
Hope Glassberg.