On Jan. 1, 1975, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) was born after seven inventive legislative leaders and two staffers envisioned a single national organization to support, defend and strengthen state legislatures.  NCLS’s mission is to ensure that states remain strong and independent by giving them the tools, information and resources to help lawmakers craft the best policy solutions to difficult problems.  The unique membership of NCSL (legislators and their staff), along with its recognized nationwide reputation, set it apart as a neutral organizational forum for providing education and training on effective policies and practices.

How did you first become aware of NCVLI and become involved in NCVLI’s work?
I (Anne Teigan) became aware of NCVLI the first day I started working on victim’s rights issues. NCVLI’s web page and its Victim Law Library is an invaluable resource to NCSL when we receive questions from state legislators of legislative staff on restitution and child victim issues.  NCSL has attended the NCVLI conference for the past 2 years and looks forward to many more conferences and more cooperation’s.  

Describe NCSL’s role with this current project with OVC-PC.
NCSL receives dozens of questions each year from state legislators and legislative staff related to victim’s rights.  It was important for us to work with NCVLI to seeks to increase the knowledge of post-conviction victims’ rights and enhance the resources available to victims, their advocates and state legislators and staff.

Do you have highlights from other NCSL victims’ rights projects you would like to share?
We do have an NCSL Legisbrief entitled “Victim’s Rights After Conviction” that summarizes some of the findings from this project.