[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 42 (Tuesday, April 16, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2717-S2718]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SELECTING DAVID AND ANN SCOVILLE TO RECEIVE THE NATIONAL CRIME VICTIM 
                             SERVICE AWARD

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I join all Vermonters in congratulating 
David and Ann Scoville on receiving the National Crime Victim Service 
Award of 2002. We thank them for all they do to help the victims of 
crime and to help the public understand victims' needs.
  Nearly 20 years ago the Scovilles suffered every parent's nightmare--
the disappearance and murder of their daughter, Patricia. The crime 
that took her from them remains unsolved to this day--a situation that 
has compounded the Scovilles' suffering and

[[Page S2718]]

one that also torments many other families.
  Through their lives and examples, the Scovilles have become role 
models for grieving families who have suffered similar losses. They 
have summoned the courage and compassion to harness their pain for 
positive outcomes. They have made it their work to help other families 
escape the anguish they endured, and to help raise the awareness of 
public officials about the importance of victims' participation 
throughout all phases of the criminal justice process.
  Victims of murder, rape, domestic violence, sexual assault and other 
crimes deserve the understanding and support of the American people and 
of the Congress. We have a duty to ensure that the criminal justice 
system is one that respects the rights and dignity of crime victims, 
rather than one that complicates or even exacerbates the suffering of 
those already victimized.
  Congress has listened to their counsel and to the counsel of other 
victims of crime. Over the past two decades many of us have worked hard 
to pass laws that have provided victims with greater rights and 
assistance, including stronger protection for witnesses of crime; a 
Victims' Bill of Rights; protection for female victims of violence; 
mandatory restitution for crime victims; special awareness of the needs 
of victims with disabilities; special programs for victims of 
terrorism; and an act for victims of trafficking.
  We continue the fight to win more rights and help for victims of 
crime, largely because the victims' rights agenda in Congress has been 
advanced, year by year, by advocates like the Scovilles. I, with 
Senator Kennedy, have introduced the Crime Victims Assistance Act of 
2001, which focuses on protecting victims' rights, including victims' 
enhanced participatory rights at trial and sentencing.
  This legislation requires that a responsible official consult with 
victims prior to detention hearings, and consider victims' views about 
any contemplated plea agreement. It calls for the presiding judge to 
inquire regarding victims' views on detention, and prohibits the court 
from entering a judgment upon a guilty plea without regarding victims' 
views. The bill also provides for enhanced victims' rights regarding 
the right to attend the trial and sentencing. Victims are also given 
specific rights regarding notice of sentence adjustment, discharge from 
a psychiatric facility and executive clemency.
  In addition to these improvements to the Federal system, this 
legislation proposes several programs to help States provide better 
assistance for victims of State crimes. These programs would improve 
compliance with State victims' rights laws, promote the development of 
state-of-the-art notification systems to keep victims informed of case 
developments and important dates on a timely and efficient basis, and 
encourage further experimentation with the community-based restorative 
justice model in the juvenile court setting.
  We were able to include much of the Crime Victims Assistance Act in 
last year's USA PATRIOT Act supported by Republicans and Democrats. One 
major provision that remains to be achieved, however, is to eliminate 
the artificial cap on the Crime Victims' Fund, which has prevented 
millions of dollars from reaching victims and from supporting essential 
services for them.
  While we have greatly improved our crime victims assistance programs 
and made advances in recognizing crime victims' rights, we still have 
more to do. I commend David and Ann Scoville for their leadership and 
look forward to continuing to work with them to advance crime victims' 
rights legislation, and to make a difference in the lives of crime 
victims.

                          ____________________