General Victim Impact Programs

Programs that offer classes that are designed to help offenders accept responsibility for their criminal actions, understand the impact of crime on victims and the community, and refrain from future criminal behavior. General victim impact classes may address a range of criminal activity, typically offenses such as property crimes, assault, drunk driving, robbery, drug-related crimes, gang violence, hate crimes and homicide that do not involve personal relationships; and are intended for a mix of offenders. Many involve personal presentations by victims of crimes (not specific victims of offenders in attendance but victims in unrelated cases) who describe how their victimization has affected their lives. Victim impact classes have been adapted for both adult and juvenile offenders in diversion, probation, prison, pre-release, detention, and parole supervised settings.