The Oregon Youth Authority is committed to reducing the impact of crime on victims' lives by promoting victims' rights, and providing victims access to information and resources in a timely, sensitive, and dedicated manner.

Victims' Rights in the Criminal Justice System:

• Victims may apply to the State of Oregon for compensation of losses involving personal injury expenses before the conviction of the defendant.
  
• Victims have the right to know the criminal history, conviction, sentence, imprisonment and release of the defendant.
  
• Upon request, victims may be in the courtroom for the trial, probation violation hearings, and other critical stages.
  
• Victims have the right to be present at pretrial release hearings and to reasonably express their views about the release of the defendant.
  
• Victims have the right to a court hearing if they are directly or indirectly threatened or intimidated by the criminal defendant.
  
• Victims may refuse an interview by the defendant, the defendant's lawyer, or any other person on behalf of the defendant.
  
• Victims do not have to talk to the defendant's lawyer, or anyone representing that lawyer.  They cannot take a formal legal statement from a victim without their consent.  If the victim chooses to talk to the defendant's lawyer, the victim has the right to have their personal lawyer with them or they may request a lawyer from the District Attorney's Office be present.

Oregon Revised Statutes - Chapter 147  — Victims of Crime and Acts of Mass Destruction
Crime Victims' Rights 147.405-147.425 

Department of Justice Crime Victims' Assistance

The Department of Justice Crime Victims section provides information on victims' assistance rights and services statewide.

• Crime Victims' Assistance Programs
• Oregon Crime Victims' Rights 
  

 

Victim Information & Notification Everyday (VINE)

The Oregon Youth Authority is a participant in the "Victim Information & Notification Everyday" system (VINE) - an automated system to which victims can subscribe to learn important custody and/or probation and parole information about a youth.

 

What will VINE do for me?

VINE will tell you if a youth is in the custody of the Oregon Department of Corrections, Oregon Youth Authority or a county jail, and will give you other important custody and/or probation information.  VINE will also let you leave a phone number where you want to be called automatically when that youth is released, transferred, escapes, dies, or has a change in parole or probation status.

 

What do I need to do?

Call 1-877-OR-4-VINE from a touch-tone phone and follow the directions. 

1. If the youth is in custody of one of the agencies listed above, you can leave your phone number to be called when their custody or probation status changes.  Enter the phone number where you want to be reached, including area code, followed by the pound (#) key.
   
2. When VINE asks, create and enter a four-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN) that will be easy for you to remember.  VINE will ask for your PIN when it calls you.
   
3. When VINE calls, listen to the message, then enter your PIN when asked.  Entering the PIN lets VINE know that you received the call, and will stop the service from calling you again.

 
For youth information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, call Victim Information Notification Everyday (VINES) at 1-877-OR-4-VINE.

• Click for a brochure on VINE (English).

Crime Victims United of Oregon

Crime Victims United was founded in 1983 to advance the rights of crime victims and enhance the safety of all law-abiding Oregonians by addressing problems in Oregon's criminal justice system. Through the tireless efforts of many volunteers, most of them victims of violent crime, much progress has been made toward fulfilling our mission.
 
For more information on Victims Rights in Oregon, visit the Crime Victims United of Oregon website.

Resources for Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault

The Department of Human Resources provides resources, training and information related to domestic violence and sexual assault.
 
For more information, visit the Domestic Violence website.