“A Walk Through the System” – A Resource for Victims

One of the most frequently accessed resources in our library collection is A Walk Through The System: A Guide for Victims and Survivors. This guidebook was put together by victims’ services staff at the Colorado Department of Corrections. Victims may understandably be anxious or curious about what will happen to the person who committed the crime against them, and what their punishment will be like. The guidebook explains how the correctional system works, as well as outlining victims’ rights.

A Walk Through The System explains, with photos, the different levels of custody and security; how offenders receive medical care and other services; how time served is calculated; “a day in the life of an inmate;” how inmate work programs are structured; and basic facts about all of Colorado’s correctional institutions. Colorado crime victims – or anyone interested in how the Colorado correctional system works – will find this a helpful and supportive guidebook. Victims may also be interested in these other helpful publications:

• Answers to Your Questions About Victims’ and Witnesses’ Rights (Colorado Judicial Branch); also available in Spanish
• Crime Victims Have Rights! (Colorado Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice); also available in Spanish
• Information for Victims and Victim Representatives (Juvenile Parole Board)
• The Rights of Crime Victims in Colorado: The Role and Responsibilities of Community Corrections (Colorado Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice)
• The Rights of Crime Victims in Colorado: The Role and Responsibilities of the Court (Colorado Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice)
• The Rights of Crime Victims in Colorado: The Role and Responsibilities of a Deputy District Attorney (Colorado Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice)
• The Rights of Crime Victims in Colorado: The Role and Responsibilities of the Division of Youth Corrections (Colorado Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice)
• The Rights of Crime Victims in Colorado: The Role and Responsibilities of a Law Enforcement Agency (Colorado Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice)
• The Rights of Crime Victims in Colorado: The Role and Responsibilities of the Probation Department (Colorado Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice)

Additionally, those who work with victims may be interested in Making Sense of the Unimaginable: How Law Enforcement Can Support the Families and Friends of Unsolved Homicide Victims, from the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Public Affairs.