Many police officers & prosecutors have become increasingly frustrated by their inability to investigate & prosecute cases successfully when key witnesses refuse to provide critical evidence or to testify because they fear retaliation by the defendant or his family & friends. This report describes how several jurisdictions have carried out these victim/witness security strategies and how you can benefit from them without losing faith in the justice system. Extensively illustrated.

Examines steps that law enforcement agencies & prosecutors' offices across the country have taken to prevent witness intimidation, describes how jurisdictions have carried out these strategies, & offers a blueprint for combining these discrete approaches into a comprehensive, structured program to protect witnesses & ensure their cooperation. Discusses the nature & extent of witness intimidation, traditional approaches to security, witness relocation, preventing intimidation in courtrooms & jails, reducing community-wide intimidation, developing a comprehensive witness security program, legal issues, & sources of help.