- Title of the video: ACC victim impact.
- Locaion where the video was taken: Virginia, United States.
- Organization or website where the video was posted: YouTube.
Summary
ACC Victim Impact is a video describing the process and effects of a program designed to change offender behavior. The session consists of crime victims speaking directly to offenders and sharing their personal stories. The program attempts to challenge offenders to see the impact of crime from the perspective of the people who suffered through criminal injustice (Virginiacorrections, 2018). The ultimate goal lies in making inmates, probationers, and parolees more aware of the outcomes of their wrongdoings, encouraging them to be accountable for their actions.
The program provides and ensures the safety of the voluntary speakers. The victims are accompanied by the staff, and no personal information is revealed (Virginiacorrections, 2018). The video presents a speaker, Carrie, whose life was changed by a criminal. She shares her story as a survivor of an aggravated sexual assault by going into detail on how the incident affected her physically and mentally, leaving insufferable emotional and psychological aftermath (Virginiacorrections, 2018). Carrie discloses the fear of being followed and surrounded by her offender (Virginiacorrections, 2018). Despite the fact that 30 years have passed since the assault, the victim admits that she still has to live with the horrors of what she has gone through. Carrie hopes to inspire offenders to create no new victims by taking part in the program. Her decision is motivated by the fact that she has the opportunity to change offenders’ perceptions and behavior (Virginiacorrections, 2018). Since many criminals do not fully understand the impact of their actions, the program gives them access to personal and real education.
The session displayed in the video shows that the criminal victim speaker presents before several offenders. After the session, they share their reflections and opinion on the program and its results. One of the participants confesses that the presentation changed his life, and he is thankful for that. He believes that this program will help him alter the trajectory of the path to a better future (Virginiacorrections, 2018). Another participant shares his opinion on the fact that this is one of the programs that indeed work and help convicts to see the impact that they have caused on the people around them (Virginiacorrections, 2018). The third offender discusses the way the program works; he claims that not many people possess the awareness required to acknowledge the interests of others (Virginiacorrections, 2018). The overall positive reaction to this program indicates that such sessions are an excellent example for inmates doing something for both themselves and society.
The offenders listening to the speaker are shown throughout the video, and their sincere emotional responses are visible. They seem sympathetic and understanding of the speaker’s circumstances. One of the convicts is seen crying while listening to the survivor’s tragic life story (Virginiacorrections, 2018). The program is evidently emotional for both parties and hopefully, due to these feelings, is most effective in changing offender behavior and preventing recidivism. However, because of the traumatic experience survivors have had, there might not be as many volunteers to participate in presenting in front of several convicted prisoners. Therefore, such a program cannot be as easy to execute on a regular basis to accomplish steady progress across the country. It would also be inconsiderable to pressure victims to commit to changing other people’s behavior by putting themselves at risk of mental or even physical trauma. As such, sadly, the program, however efficient it is, may not be considered common practice.
References
Virginiacorrections. (2018). ACC Victim Impact [Video]. YouTube.