In 1999, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office established a State-level Victims’ Rights Enforcement Officer position to respond to victims’ concerns and to address non-compliance. Today, this position is known as the State Victims' Rights Administrator for Compliance (Compliance Administrator). The Compliance Administrator has a number of tasks that comprise a delicate balance of reactive and proactive approaches to improving compliance, state-wide, with victims’ rights laws.
The Compliance Administrator is not a victim advocate, but an advocate for compliance with victims’ rights, which at times can have the same effect as advocating for victims. The Compliance Administrator receives and examines complaints in an unbiased manner.
Significant duties include:
- Raising awareness and providing resources regarding victims' rights laws
- Acting as an ombudsman for crime victims, addressing victims' complaints of criminal or juvenile entities
- Conducting inquiries into alleged violations of victims’ rights laws
- Completing site visits and evaluating complex operations and activities of government providers of mandated victim services
- Identifying gaps in victims' rights services, unintended (negative) consequences or non-uniform application of victims' rights laws
What can the Compliance Administrator do for victims’ of crime?
- Facilitate resolution of victims' rights concerns with criminal and juvenile justice entities
- Promote participation in the justice process in furtherance of healing
- Help ensure justice is served through upholding victims’ rights
What can the Compliance Administrator do for criminal and juvenile justice entities?
- Promote accountability
- Provide support and technical assistance to assist agencies in performing mandated victims’ rights duties
- Recommend changes to ameliorate problems
- Exonerate agencies from unjustified criticism when alleged violations are unfounded
- Provide agencies with sample policies and procedures and form letter models
- Provide feedback about areas in which agencies could improve, as well as areas in which agencies excel
If you believe the Compliance Administrator can be of assistance to you, please contact the Office of Victim Services. Inquiries may be made via telephone or in writing. We can be contacted at:
Office of Victim Services
State Victims’ Rights Administrator: Compliance
AZ Attorney General's Office
2005 N Central Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Email Address: [email protected]
Telephone Number 602-542-4911
Fax Number 602-542-8453