{"id":2339,"date":"2018-12-20T08:00:25","date_gmt":"2018-12-20T14:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/?p=2339"},"modified":"2018-12-19T16:59:21","modified_gmt":"2018-12-19T22:59:21","slug":"the-power-privilege-and-politics-of-victim-rights-movements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/2018\/12\/20\/the-power-privilege-and-politics-of-victim-rights-movements\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power, Privilege, and Politics of Victim Rights Movements"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Photo of a protest sign that says “equality” with a female symbol. Photo by Fibonacci Blue, Flickr CC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During this year\u2019s midterm elections, six states adopted <\/span>Marsy\u2019s Law<\/span><\/a>, a measure that aims to amend state constitutions so that they treat victims\u2019 rights as equal to defendants\u2019 rights in the criminal justice system. Observers like the <\/span>American Civil Liberties Union<\/span><\/a>\u00a0warn that the law circumvents due process — particularly the presumption of innocence — by allowing victims the right to deny evidence to defendants and their counsel, and in some states, even curtail the amount of time a defendant can appeal a conviction. The law\u2019s popularity and ensuing debates highlight two key lines of research, the power of victim rights movements in the United States and the racial and gender privilege underlying perceptions of victimhood. <\/span><\/p>\n

Although different segments of the victim rights movement have different origins, scholars typically point to the 1960s as the time when victim rights hit the national scene. Since then, the mainstream movement has led to state statutes to provide victim restitution, and increase funding for victims\u2019 services. Scholars suggest that while the victim rights movement has had some positive impacts, it occurred alongside the \u201cget tough on crime\u201d movement that facilitated the prison boom. For example, the advocacy of predominately white, elite feminist movements on punishments for rape and domestic violence was viewed as a victory in addressing violence against women. However, it also resulted in a form of \u201ccarceral feminism\u201d that increased punitive responses in criminal justice policies in lieu of reforms in other areas such as welfare and other social services.<\/h5>\n