Appendix C: Focus Group Questions

Service Provider Focus Group

• What are the top 3 needs of the victims that you serve?
• What are the top 3 barriers that prevent victims from getting their needs met?
• What specific action steps need to be taken to remove these barriers?
• What are the 3 best things about the current victim services system?
• What types of assistance for victims are most needed in Travis County that are not currently available?
• What geographic areas are sub-populations of Travis County are under-served?
• What demographic changes are you seeing in the people needing victim services?

Victim/Survivor Focus Groups

1. How many of you had contact with the police or sheriff after you were hurt? (Notetaker: record how many victims had police contact, how many did not)
   
   Follow-up Prompts
   • Did you call the police? If not, what are the reasons you did not call the police? Under what conditions would you call the police?
   • For those of you who did have contact with the police (officer in blue uniform), can you tell what your experience was like? Did you meet with a Victim Services Counselor? (Facilitator get some idea of the timing of police response, was it recent?)
   • For those of you who had contact with the sheriff’s office (deputy in brown uniform), can you tell what your experience was like? Did you meet with a Victim Services Counselor?
2. How many of you had any contact with the courts? (Notetaker: record how many victims have had contact, how many haven’t)
   
   Follow-up Prompts
   • For those of you who have had some contact with the courts, can you tell us about that experience? Can you tell us about your experience with advocates? Attorneys? Judges?
   • For those of you who have had some contact with the criminal justice system: Thinking back to any and all experiences you’ve had with the police, prosecutors, or the courts, do you think there should be any changes in the way the justice system (police/prosecutors/courts) responds to victims? What changes in particular?
3. In general, what problems do you think victims face when they try to get help from the police? From Victim/Witness advocates? From the courts? From community organizations?
   
   Follow-up Prompts
   • How has the crime you experienced affected your life?
4. Did you know what services were available? What services or types of assistance have you received? What types of services do you still need/did you need but didn’t get?
   
   Follow-up Prompt
   • What are some barriers for victims trying to get services? What gets in the way of being able to get services?
5. What is the ONE thing that you think should be changed to improve the way victims are treated by the system?