The victims' rights movement : what it gets right, what it gets wrong /

The victims' rights movement has helped transform not only the language surrounding victims' rights but also the laws associated with the movement. In this book, Vitiello (law, Univ. of the Pacific) provides the particulars of how each state across the country has used politicians and the public to shift the discussion from rights to victims' rights. The story is truly about the philosophy of rights and the impact of that abstract notion on criminal sentencing. In eight chapters, Vitiello outlines the history of the movement and juxtaposes it against broader notions of the law. The detail the author provides is the most important aspect of the book. Vitiello notes that there are answers, if people search for them, for discussing victimhood and victims' rights. It can be done. Vitiello's work is inspiring and motivational. The Victims' Rights Movement is recommended for all readers interested in the life of the law, specifically that life inside the history of discussions on rights. It is unlikely that there is another book on this subject that so poignantly captures the history and contemporary issues of victims' rights, and does so with a reminder of optimism. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers through faculty; professionals. --Aaron RS Lorenz, Ramapo College