The Department of Justice plans to commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week April 23-29, which pays tribute to crime victims and those who serve them.

This year’s NCVRW theme is Victims’ Rights: Strength in Unity and will begin with the National Candlelight Observance on Thursday April 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington D.C. This event is open to the public and free of charge.

National Crime Victims’ Rights Week provides a time of nationwide remembrance, reflection, and re-commitment for crime victims and survivors and those who serve them. It is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Each April since 1981, the DOJ’s Office of Victims of Crime (OVC) has helped lead communities across the country in their observances of National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW). Public rallies, candlelight vigils, and a host of commemorative activities promote victims' rights and services in all sectors of our society.

OVC recently released the 2006 Resource Guide for National Crime Victims' Rights Week. The Guide was developed to help communities promote awareness of victim issues and comes complete with camera-ready art files on CD-ROM, posters, and sample PSAs.

Contents include: victimization statistics, sample PSAs and speeches, special event ideas, camera-ready art files, six-minute motivational video on DVD, posters including the NCVRW theme poster, Milestones in the New Millennium special section.

For more information visit www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/ncvrw/welcome.html.