EAGAN, Minn. -- An overwhelming majority of

Americans believe that criminals should be required to compensate their

victims, according to a new poll by the legal Web site FindLaw.

Eighty-four percent of those surveyed said criminals should provide

compensation to their victims. Thirteen percent disagreed. Three percent had

no opinion or no response. The national survey used a representative sample of

1,000 adults nationwide, with a margin of error of plus or minus three

percentage points

Each year, about 1.5 million violent crimes, such as murder, rape and

aggravated assault, are committed in the United States, according to the FBI's

Uniform Crime Reports. More than 10 million property crimes, such as burglary,

larceny and theft, are committed each year.

The week of April 18-24, commemorated the 24th anniversary of

National Crime Victims' Rights Week. Twenty-four years ago, crime victims had

few participatory rights in the U.S. criminal and juvenile justice systems.

Assistance and services were limited, and countless victims endured their

trauma and pain alone, with little guidance or help in dealing with the

aftermath of crime. Since that time, more than 30,000 federal, state and local

laws have been passed that promote victims' rights, such as counseling

services and the ability to participate in sentencing and parole hearings.

Source: FindLaw