As a victim of crime in Pennsylvania you have the following rights:

To receive information concerning available services for victims;

To be notified of certain significant actions and proceedings pertaining to your case;

To be accompanied at all public criminal proceeding by a victim advocate, family member or another person;

In cases involving personal injury crimes, burglary, and crimes relating to driving under the influence which involved bodily injury, the victim may offer prior comment on the potential reduction or dropping of any charge or changing of a plea;

To offer prior comment on the sentencing of a defendant to include the submission of a written and/or oral victim impact statement;

To be restored, to the extent possible, to the pre-crime economic status through restitution, compensation, and the return of property;

In personal injury crimes where the offender is sentenced to a state correctional facility, to be given the opportunity to provide prior comment on and to receive state post sentencing release decisions (work release, parole, pardon, or community treatment center placement) and to be provided immediate notice of escape of the offender;

In personal injury crimes where the offender is sentenced to a local correctional facility, to receive notice of release of the offender (including work release, furlough, parole, community treatment center placement) and to be provided with immediate notice of the escape of the offender;

Where the offender is subject to a PFA order and is committed to a local correctional facility for a violation of the order or for a personal injury crime against a victim protected by the order, to receive immediate notice of the release of the offender on bail;

To receive notice when an offender is committed to a mental health facility from a state correctional institution and of the discharge, transfer, or escape of the offender from the mental health facility; and

To have assistance in the preparation of, submission of and follow-up on financial assistance claims to the Crime Victim’s Compensation Program.