The Lawrence County Prosecutor's Office is committed to supporting crime victims through our comprehensive Victims Assistance Program. Our dedicated team provides:
- Guidance on navigating the criminal justice system
- Regular case updates and explanations of your rights
- Assistance with restitution claims for property damage, medical expenses, and counseling services
- Referrals to specialized services and resources
- Aid in applying for the Indiana Violent Crime Compensation Fund
Our goal is to empower and support you throughout the legal process, ensuring your voice is heard and your needs are met.
Links:
- Department of Corrections SAVIN Program - https://indianasavin.in.gov/default.aspx
The Indiana SAVIN program is a free, automated service that provides crime victims with vital information and notification 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This service will allow you to obtain offender information and to register for notification of a change in offender status, such as offender release. All registrations though Indiana SAVIN and kept completely confidential.
- The National Center for Victims of Crime - https://victimsofcrime.org/
- Victim Connect Resource Center - https://victimconnect.org/
The National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC) has creatred the VictimConnect Resource Center, which is a place for victims of all crime to learn about their rights and options-confidentially and compassionately. VictimConnect can be accessed anywhere in the United States through a traditional telephone-based helpline and innovative text and online chat services Monday through Friday. Services are available in English and Spanish and interpreters for more than 200 languages can be accessed. Victim assistance specialists help people who reach out find appropriate national, local, or online resources. Additionally, VictimConnect has information regarding types of crime, crime statistics, and maintains a searchable online directory for crime victim service providers.
Victim Rights
As a crime victim you have the right:
- To be treated with fairness, dignity, and respect.
- To meet with your Victim Assistant, be informed of the status of your case, and notified of court dates
- Upon request, to be informed when a person who is accused or convicted of committing a crime perpetrated directly against you is released from custody or escapes.
- To have your safety considered in determining the release from custody of a person accused of committing a crime against you.
- To request that the court issue a “No Contact Order” requiring the defendant to have no contact with you in person, by phone or letter, through friends or family, or in any other way. You may contact the Prosecutor’s Office at 812-275-4439 to make this request.
- To request restitution for lost or damaged property, medical bills and/or counseling services as provided by law.
- To confer with the deputy prosecutor assigned to your case.
- To make a Victim Impact Statement at sentencing or submit a written statement about the impact of the crime on your life.
Victim Impact Statement
Victims of crime have the right to make a Victim Impact Statement (VIS) at a sentencing hearing in which they tell the court how the crime has affected them and their families. For more information on this, please contact our office.
Forms: