Flash forward to the millennium, to a very different environment: A responding officer would belikely to provide information about rights, services, compensation, and support. Informationabout the justice process would be available in both paper-based and electronic formats. Themanagement of her case throughout the justice process in many jurisdictions would be simplifiedby electronic case files, with information shared "virtually" with security protections across bothagencies and jurisdictions. In some jurisdictions, information about the status of victimcompensation claims could be electronically accessed. Information about confidentialcounseling and support groups would be available via the World Wide Web. In fact, todayinformation about rape trauma, victims' rights, and avenues for activism abound on the Internet.
new english file elementary test booklet with key
A recent focus for information access is the accessibility of Web sites for individuals withdisabilities. The Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), founded in 1984, is a nonprofitorganization whose mission is to expand opportunities for people with disabilities throughinnovative uses of computer technology. CAST's major initiatives include product developmentand applied research. Product development focuses on the creation of universally designedcurriculum and software including network learning systems for elementary schools andcolleges, and supported learning tools and curriculum in the areas of literacy, mathematics,science, and social studies. Research is conducted in classrooms, homes, communityorganizations, and the Internet.
When integrated management information systems within and among justice agenciesincorporate victim information, both the quality of and access to such information aresignificantly improved. Lost paper files and misplaced case information become a thing of thepast when victim-related case information is electronically attached, with appropriate securityrestrictions, to the electronic case file of the offender as it makes its way "virtually" through thejustice process. Within victim serving agencies, basic networking in an office improves theveracity of victim-related data, as well as professionals' ability to access information when andwhere it is needed.
Many innovative applications of technology today are designed specifically to "fill in the cracks"of a system and services that should be designed to protect victims. For example, victim caseinformation can be electronically and confidentially attached to his or her offender's electroniccase file for easy access and rapid retrieval. Furthermore, victim case information within oneagency can be accessed by legitimate and authorized staff, even in the event that a victim's directcase worker is inaccessible at the time the information is needed.
Security of information. Victim confidentiality is a basic tenet of victim services. Valid fearsabout technology are most often directly related to the security of victim information, case files,and other data. The private sector has responded with innovative applications that utilizeencryption, personal identification numbers, security screens that limit access, and "fire walls"on the World Wide Web. Yet these approaches must be augmented by comprehensive educationof victim service providers and allied justice professionals who remain wary of anything thatdoesn't equate to a confidential file in a locked file cabinet in a secure room.
Many organizations have used the same powerful and simple methods of the Internet to createtheir own private networks, called Intranets. These networks are used by organizations to shareinformation and applications among their members such as training manuals and case files. Intranets look just like the Internet except that they are private to the organization. They can beused to link multiple divisions or departments of an organization together. For example, a state-level correctional agency might use an Intranet to share information about victims, or offenderrelease dates. Typically, access to an Intranet network through the Internet is severely restrictedwith the use of a firewall. A firewall allows only one way access, namely out to the Internet, notinto the Intranet.
The most recent enhancement to HTML is a scripting language called XML. The first attributesof this new Web protocol are just beginning to emerge from international standards bodies. XML will significantly extend the power of the World Wide Web. It is said that XML will giveJava the data to work. It will permit Web pages to contain data that look the same to multiplecomputer programs regardless of their location, platform, or origin. For example, a case filemight originate in a police department computer, be submitted to a prosecutor's database, andcontinue to a court management system without format change.
E-mail on the Internet makes ubiquitous electronic messaging possible. The popularity ofInternet e-mail is second in popularity and functionality only to World Wide Web services.Anyone who has an e-mail account on the Internet can correspond and transfer computer files toanyone else on the Internet. Connection to the Internet requires nothing more than a telephone,modem, and computer. Standard messaging packages allow users to exchange files by attachingthem to e-mail. This ability, in combination with the universal connectivity of e-mail, permitscollaboration among users anywhere on the Internet. 2ff7e9595c
Commenti