New York Laws
Article 23 - Fair Treatment Standards for Crime Victims
641 - Objectives of Fair Treatment Standards.

(a) availability of crime victim compensation;
(b) availability of appropriate public or private programs that
provide counseling, treatment or support for crime victims, including
but not limited to the following: rape crisis centers, victim/witness
assistance programs, elderly victim services, victim assistance hotlines
and domestic violence shelters;
(c) the role of the victims in the criminal justice process, including
what they can expect from the system as well as what the system expects
from them; and
(d) stages in the criminal justice process of significance to a crime
victim, and the manner in which information about such stages can be
obtained.
2. Ensure routine notification of a victim or witness as to steps that
law enforcement officers or district attorneys can take to protect
victims and witnesses from intimidation.
3. Ensure notification of victims, witnesses, relatives of those
victims and witnesses who are minors, and relatives of homicide victims,
if such persons provide the appropriate official with a current address
and telephone number, either by phone or by mail, if possible, of
judicial proceedings relating to their case, including:
(a) the arrest of an accused;
(b) the initial appearance of an accused before a judicial officer;
(c) the release of an accused pending judicial proceedings; and
(d) proceedings in the prosecution of the accused including entry of a
plea of guilty, trial, sentencing, but prior to sentencing specific
information shall be provided regarding the right to seek restitution
and reparation, and where a term of imprisonment is imposed, specific
information shall be provided regarding maximum and minimum terms of
such imprisonment.