Victim Impact Statements in South Australia

Impact Statements (VIS). The new law which took effect in January 1989 requires that VIS material be put before the court by prosecutors so as to inform the judge of any physical or mental harm, any loss or damage to property suffered by a victim as a result of a crime. This article presents the results of evaluation studies of VIS in South Australia and their implications for the role of victims in the criminal justice process and the effects of VIS on the system. The first study (Erez, Roeger & Morgan 1994) examined the impact of VIS on victim satisfaction and sentencing in the context of the implementation of VIS through interviews of the legal profession, a survey of crime victims and an analysis of sentencing outcomes in the higher courts. In the second study (O’Connell 1995) the attitude of police (largely operational) towards VIS and the role of the police in the preparation of VIS was examined before and after their introduction.