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Available Services Rights FAQ

Answer
expand Question : Do I have to pay for the services I receive from the victim service program or the district attorney’s office? ‎(1)

​No. The services provided by a county victim services program and the district attorney’s office are free.

expand Question : How can I get help in filing a victim’s compensation claim? ‎(1)
expand Question : How will I know what my rights are as a victim of crime? ‎(1)

​Law enforcement may have already given you a brochure that has basic information about the Rights for victims of crime and available services. Listed in that brochure are the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the victim service program in your county that you can contact for assistance. Or, if you return to the juvenile justice flow chart you will see an “R” listed beside each step in the juvenile justice system where you as a victim of crime have a specific right

expand Question : How will the police contact me to tell me if the juvenile was caught? ‎(1)
expand Question : I am a Pennsylvania resident but I was a victim of crime in another state, will I be provided these rights? ‎(1)

​No. These specific rights are provided to people who were victims of crime in Pennsylvania. Each state provides rights to people who were victimized by crime. For assistance, you may want to call your local victim service program for help in locating a victim service program in the state in which you were a victim.

expand Question : I need to complete the restitution form for the court so the judge can order restitution in the case in which I was a victim. How can I prove how much my stolen property is worth? ‎(1)
expand Question : The police recovered some of my property which was taken in a burglary. How long will the police hold my recovered property? ‎(1)

​The police will need to hold the property until all court actions are completed. The district attorney assigned to each case will decide when the property is no longer needed or if photographs are all that is needed. You may want to talk to an advocate at your local victim service program that can assist you with this.