You have rights.
As a victim of crime, Minnesota law provides you with specific rights as listed in Minnesota State Statute 611A.
We can help.
As a victim of crime, Minnesota provides you with important rights as your case moves through the criminal justice system.
The Redwood County Attorney’s Crime Victim Services Program works to ensure that the rights of crime victims are upheld. Our staff promotes the rights and interests of crime victims by providing information, assistance, support, and referrals in a timely manner.

Who is a crime victim?
Under Minnesota law, a crime victim is defined as a person who incurs loss or harm as a result of a crime. A victim includes the family member, guardian, or custodian of a minor, incompetent, incapacitated, or deceased person.
What are my rights?
Financial Assistance
Crime victims have a place to turn for help
The Minnesota Crime Victims Reparations Board helps victims and their families ease the financial burden they face as a result of a violent crime. The Board provides financial assistance to reimburse victims for their out-ofpocket losses suffered as a direct result of the crime.

Safe at Home
Safe at Home is designed to help people who fear for their safety maintain a confidential address. Many times program participants are survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
When someone enrolls in Safe at Home, they are assigned a PO Box address that they can use as their legal address. In Minnesota, all public and private entities must accept a participant’s assigned address and a participant cannot be required to disclose their real address. This allows a program participant to go about his or her daily life without leaving traces of where they can typically be located, such as their residential address, a school address, or an employment address. This safety measure is an attempt to keep their aggressor from locating them.
Because program participants use a PO Box address assigned to them, Safe at Home provides a mail forwarding service. First Class Mail is forwarded to a participant’s home address. The participant’s real address remains under security with the Safe at Home office. In addition to being the participant's agent to receive mail, the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State is a participant's agent to receive service of process (legal papers).

Eligibility requirements to join Safe at Home are:
Frequently Asked Questions
Call your local law enforcement agency, prosecutor’s office, or victim service provider for information.
You could be eligible for reparations from the State of Minnesota if you are a victim of a violent crime and have out-of-pocket costs related to medical care, counseling, a funeral, lost wages, or certain other expenses. You could be eligible for restitution from the defendant if he/she is found guilty or enters a guilty plea.
Yes. In general, criminal court proceedings involving adult defendants are open to the public. A judge may close a hearing or exclude a party under certain circumstances. Victims in cases involving juvenile offenders may attend the court proceedings.
A subpoena is a court order to appear in court. Read it very carefully. It will have instructions on whom to call for court information and location. If you have a scheduling conflict or have any questions, call whomever sent the subpoena as soon as possible. As a witness, you will receive a small fee for your time and mileage.
Yes, the same rights apply in both adult and juvenile cases.
Prior to conviction, a county jail or detention facility must notify a victim of a violent crime of the offender’s release. All victims, regardless of the crime, are strongly encouraged to register with the VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) program to request automatic release notification. Following conviction, victims of inmates in a county facility must make a request for release notification to that facility and can also register with VINE. Victims of inmates in a Department of Corrections facility must register with the Minnesota CHOICE program for release notification.
If you are a crime victims who has received services through the RCAO CVS program, you can provide feedback by filling out our online form.
Need Help?
Contact the Redwood County Crime Victims Services department today!