Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced on April 28 the issuance of Directive 2026-01, which creates the Attorney General’s Victims’ Rights Council. The council will be overseen by the Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance.
The formation of this council is intended to provide regular dialogue among professionals who assist crime victims, as well as those with lived experience, to coordinate efforts that strengthen victims’ rights and diversify services in New Jersey. According to Davenport, “Victims and survivors of crimes are in a unique position to help shape policies that will affect not only their healing processes but also their experiences with our criminal justice system. Today we continue New Jersey’s legacy of victim advocacy by creating a council where their voices will be heard.”
The state has taken several steps since 1985 to protect crime victims, including expanding legal rights and codifying protections in the New Jersey Constitution. The Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance (VIVA) was established more recently to unify public safety strategies for supporting victims. Patricia Teffenhart, Executive Director of VIVA, said, “VIVA was created, in part, to ensure that the needs and perspectives of victims and survivors are a central element in our public safety policy-making and decision-making. The establishment of VRC gives us a fundamental tool for receiving timely feedback from our stakeholders.” Kara Webster, Director of OTCJP, added: “The creation of VRC is a dream come true… We believe that taking a bottom-up approach ensures new policies better reflect the real needs of survivors and those who help them.”
The council will include over 30 stakeholders from inside and outside the justice system—such as victim advocates, forensic nurses, prosecutors, law enforcement officials, nonprofit service providers, corrections staffers, and court representatives—and aims to guide program development while addressing trauma-informed policy changes.
Among its goals are identifying challenges faced by victims both within and outside the justice system; improving victim experiences during criminal proceedings; expanding avenues for justice; enforcing existing rights; promoting new rights; preventing systemic issues through proactive policy change; making substantive improvements via long-term planning including legislative or training initiatives; and responding at a statewide level when systemic issues arise.
According to the official website, the New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin aims to protect residents’ lives and property while upholding legal standards across all counties through enforcement authority granted under state law. The office provides statewide legal representation as well as oversight for law enforcement agencies—including crime lab support—and offers victim advocacy along with consumer protection initiatives according to its official site. Its statutory mandate allows it broad regulatory power over public safety matters throughout New Jersey according to its official website.
Broader implications may include improved coordination between agencies serving crime victims statewide. Looking ahead, officials say direct input from survivors into policymaking is expected so responses can be tailored more effectively.
