TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport has announced the creation of a new statewide council aimed at strengthening services and policies for crime victims and survivors.
The Attorney General’s Victims’ Rights Council was established through Directive 2026-02 and will be overseen by the Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance.
Officials said the council grew out of listening sessions with victim advocacy groups and is designed to improve communication and coordination among those who work with crime victims.
“Victims and survivors of crime are uniquely positioned to help shape the policies that will affect not only their healing journeys, but their experiences with our criminal justice system,” Davenport said. “Today we are continuing New Jersey’s legacy of victim advocacy by creating a council where their voices will be heard.”
The council will include more than 30 stakeholders from across the criminal justice system and related fields, including victim advocates, law enforcement, prosecutors, healthcare professionals, nonprofit service providers and representatives from the courts and corrections system.
Through regular meetings and collaboration, the group will focus on identifying challenges facing victims, improving their experiences within the justice system and developing new, trauma-informed policies and programs.
“VIVA was created, in part, to ensure that the needs and perspectives of victims and survivors are a central element of our public safety policy and decision making. The establishment of the VRC gives us a critical tool to receive timely and consistent feedback and recommendations from our stakeholders,” said Patricia Teffenhart, executive director of the Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance. “The directive announced today affirms New Jersey’s commitment to giving victims, and those who serve them, a real role in shaping a survivor-centered, trauma-informed criminal justice system.”
Kara Webster, director of the Office of Trial and Criminal Justice Process, said the council will help ensure policies reflect the real needs of survivors.
“The creation of the VRC is a dream come true,” Webster said. “At OTCJP, we believe that taking a ground-up approach when developing new policies, procedures, or programs ensures that they better reflect the true needs of survivors and the people who help them.”
Officials said one of the council’s first priorities will be to establish ways to gather input directly from victims and survivors, whose experiences will help guide future policy decisions.
New Jersey has expanded victims’ rights over the past several decades, including the 1985 Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights and a 1991 constitutional amendment guaranteeing victims fair and respectful treatment within the justice system. The Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance was established in 2022 and codified into law in 2023.
The new council is expected to play a key role in shaping long-term strategies to improve victim services and address systemic issues statewide.
