Texas Department of Criminal Justice Victim Services Division Annual Report: 2014 Page: 4
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IIN WAN D LI H LR
MISSION AND HISTORYThe mission of the Victim
Services Division (VSD) is to
provide a central mechanism
for crime victims to participate
in the Criminal Justice System.
The VSD was first established as
a section in the Parole Division
of the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice (TDCJ) in 1993.
The creation of the Victim
Services Section was a result
of crime victims requesting
services, the foresight of staff
and the passage of crime
victims' rights by the Texas
Legislature.
The initial responsibility of the
section was to notify crime
victims, whose offenders
were incarcerated within the
TDCJ Correctional Institutions
Division (CID), of the offender's
status. The number and types
of notifications, some of which
are legislatively mandated,
have grown throughout theyears to over 8o notifications
for crime victims, surviving
family members, witnesses who
testified at trial and concerned
citizens. In addition to the
written notification services, a
toll-free hotline and automated
telephone services are also
provided by the VSD.
The Victim Offender Mediation
Dialogue (VOMD) program
was formed within the section
in 1993 after a crime victim
requested this service. In 2001,
the 77th Legislature passed
legislation providing victims of
violentcrimethe rightto request
victim-offender mediation
through this program.
The Texas Crime Victim
Clearinghouse (TxCVC) was
transferred from the Office
of the Governor to the Victim
Services Section in 1996. The
TxCVC serves as a central
source of information for crimevictims, victim advocates and
criminal justice professionals
and is tasked by legislative
mandates regarding the
Victim Impact Statement
(VIS) and other services. The
TxCVC also provides execution
accompaniment, victim impact
panel and training services.
In November 1997, the Victim
Services Section was elevated
to division status, allowing the
new division to more efficiently
provide services.As of August
VSD consisted
employees.31, 2014, the
of 35 full-timeThe VSD continues to support
the mission of the TDCJ to
provide public safety, promote
positive change in offender
behavior, reintegrate offenders
into society, and assist victims
of crime.FY 2014 Annual Report
4
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Texas. Victim Services Division. Texas Department of Criminal Justice Victim Services Division Annual Report: 2014, report, 2014~; Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth624234/m1/4/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.