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Dignity is a principle that most people understand to be inherent in humanity; we should all be treated with dignity and treat others with dignity. The Alaska Constitution guarantees crime victims the right to be treated with dignity, respect and fairness during all phases of the criminal justice process. From the moment a crime victim reports a crime, every professional in the system — law enforcement, prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges and probation officers — must honor these rights.
Yet Alaska, like the federal government and all but one state, has never defined what it means to treat victims with “dignity, respect and fairness.” Utah is the only state that has provided clear definitions:
• “Dignity” means treating the crime victim with worthiness, honor and esteem.
• “Respect” means treating the crime victim with regard and value.
• “Fairness” means treating the crime victim reasonably, even-handedly and impartially.
Alaska needs such legal definitions as well. A recent sentencing hearing in a homicide case demonstrates Alaska’s failure to fully adhere to its constitutional mandate to treat crime victims with “dignity, respect and fairness.” The hearing was held in a courtroom where a metal and glass barrier separated the victims from all other participants, while the defendant’s family was permitted to sit in the jury box. The victims were initially told they would have to deliver their impact statements from behind the barrier, speaking into a handheld microphone, unable even to see the defendant’s face. Only after the Alaska Office of Victims’ Rights objected were they permitted to enter — one at a time through a locked door — to the podium. This treatment caused unnecessary trauma and sent a clear message that the victims did not deserve dignity or equal standing before the court.
Inherent dignity is an essential foundation of justice. Therefore, every victim’s inherent worth must be recognized in our justice system, especially in moments when they are most vulnerable. Fairness is not only about legal outcomes, but also about how people are treated along the way by criminal justice personnel. Systems meant to protect victims must start from a place of respect, humanity and empathy. And justice fails when dignity is ignored, even if rules are technically followed.
Alaska’s justice system is not wholly failing to treat victims with dignity, respect and fairness, and the Alaska Office of Victims’ Rights recognizes the many professionals who demonstrate exceptional care for victims’ inherent worth and value. We must ask whether Alaska can do better — and ensure that every crime victim receives the dignity the law promises.
Angela Garay joined the Office of Victims’ Rights in 2019 as a victims’ rights attorney. In January 2024, she was appointed by the Legislature as OVR’s executive director for a five-year term.
Diana Kniazewycz has worked at OVR as a victims’ rights attorney since April 2024.
Linnea Deisher has worked at OVR since November 2017 and currently serves as its office manager.
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