More than 20 million Americans will become victims of crime this year. Very few will get the help they need. Very few will experience a sense of justice. Parallel Justice for Victims of Crime presents a new way of thinking about what is needed to help victims rebuild their lives. This book, with guiding principles and concrete examples, has the potential to redefine the country's response to the aftermath of crime.

About Parallel Justice for Victims of Crime:
Susan Herman envisions a parallel, dual-path to justice—requiring society to help repair the harm done to victims while holding offenders accountable for their crimes. This approach would revolutionize our justice system by establishing and funding an official set of responses to victims of crime. Parallel Justice elevates the goal of helping victims rebuild their lives to a fundamental component of justice. Parallel Justice requires us to decouple the pursuit of justice for victims from the administration of justice for offenders. Under a system of Parallel Justice the societal message to victims would be, "What happened to you is wrong and we will help you rebuild your life."

About the Author:
Susan Herman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Pace University. From 1997 to 2004, Ms. Herman served as the executive director of the National Center for Victims of Crime, the nation's leading resource and advocacy organization for crime victims. With more than 25 years of leadership experience in government, criminal justice, and social services, Ms. Herman is an internationally recognized spokesperson for victims of crime and her new vision of justice set forth in her book Parallel Justice for Victims of Crime.