Victims of crime and their families have the right to participate and to be heard in the criminal justice system through the use of Victim Impact Statements. A Victim Impact Statement provides the victim with an opportunity to address the court prior to sentencing. This opportunity also allows victims to personalize the crime and express the impact it has had on them and their families. This process may also aid victims in their emotional recovery.

A Victim Impact Statement can be written or oral. It grants the victim not only an opportunity to provide information for the judge to consider at sentencing, but allows the victim to articulate the pain, anguish, and financial devastation the crime has caused. For a Victim Impact Statement form contact Victim Witness unit, at (719)520-6049.