CDCR and McGeorge Host National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Event to Support Victims and Survivors

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: In honor of National Crime Victims' Rights Week, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's Office of Victim and Survivor Rights (OVSRS) and University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law's California Victims Resource Center today hosted a community event, Stronger Together: Uniting for Victims' Rights and Support.

BIGGER PICTURE: Following the opening of the San Quentin he National Crime Victims' Rights Week's theme, "Listen. Act. Advocate. Protect victims, serve communities," provided a forum for representatives from the Governor's Office, California Office of Emergency Services, along with state and local law enforcement agencies and community organizations, to bring communities together and raise awareness about victims' rights and services.

During the event, these agencies came together to hold panel discussions on how they are working to actively listen to victims and their communities to continue strengthening services and protections for victims and survivors.

BIGGER PICTURE: In 2025, OVSRS was in contact with more than 40,000 victims and victims' families to aid them in exercising their rights to receive case notifications, collect restitution and access other services and support. This resulted in thousands of victims being able to share their stories at offender parole hearings. OVSRS has overseen more than 132,000 incarcerated and formerly incarcerated persons paying direct orders of restitution totaling approximately $17 million.

This week, in honor of National Crime Victims' Rights Week, Governor Newsom issued a letter (English /Spanish) to honor victims and survivors of crime and provide resources to impacted Californians.

" Since the OVSRS was created in 1988, it has played a key role in protecting crime victims' rights by ensuring that victims get timely notice and an opporutnity to meaningfully participate in post-conviction processes. OVSRS remains committed to providing trauma-informed and victim -centered services."

Mariam El-Menshawi, Chief, OVSRS

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS

Partners and community organizations that participated in the Stronger Together event include:

• California Governor's Office

• California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

• California Office of Emergency Services

• California Department of Justice

• California Secretary of State's Office

• California Victim Compensation Board

• I-CAN Crime Victims Assistance Network

• CDCR Accountability Letter Bank

• Yolo Conflict Resolution Center

• Elk Grove Police Department

• Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, Bureau of Victim Services

• Sacramento County District Attorney's Office, Victim Wellness Center

• Sacramento Regional Family Justice Center

• San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office, Victim-Witness Services

SUPPORTING VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS

OVSRS helps people impacted by crime to enforce their rights and access services that foster a sense of healing, accountability and justice. OVSRS works to ensure that crime victims, survivors and their families are treated with respect and receive information about and timely notice of their rights, including opportunities to participate and be heard. CDCR encourages victims and survivors to contact OVSRS for support and to register, which is a confidential process. OVSRS also helps crime victims with restitution and other services. For additional information about victim services available through OVSRS, please visit https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/victim-services/.

ABOUT NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMS' RIGHTS WEEK

National Crime Victims' Rights Week was established in 1981 as an annual observance aimed at bringing communities together and raising awareness about victims' rights and services.

EVENT LINKS:

Event B-roll

Event photos