ABSTRACT
Advocacy groups such as Mothers against Drunk Driving are evidence of the growing interest in the public policy issues affecting crime victims and the available remedies. The rights of crime victims were the subject of the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime in 1982. The task force concluded that there was a serious imbalance between the rights of criminal defendants and the rights of crime victims. The limitation of resources to fund victim programs and the failure of victims to report crimes contribute to the inconsistent application of remedies. Courts are often monitored by victims and victims' rights groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving. This monitoring tends to ensure some protection for victims. Some states make it illegal to identify the name or other identifying information of a victim in the news. Increased publicity about child abuse and victimization has helped to promote stricter laws to ensure that children are well protected against ongoing abuse.
