Historically victims of offenses and their families have played a central role in attaining justice for injuries, damages, thefts, and other wrongs incurred. Traditionally victims participated directly in the prosecution of their offenders. However, once industrialization, coinciding with overpopulation in large metropolitan centers had commenced, crime control transitioned from a community responsibility to publicly funded professional police agencies. In addition, penal and crime related functions transitioned to state authorities, who prioritized punishment rather than victim restitution. There have been efforts over the last few decades to return to a victim-centric approach, including restorative justice and victim compensation. Many western democracies have developed legislation and regulations to prioritize victims of crime, but ultimately major revisions to victim-related criminal justice practice have been limited and generally negligible. Restorative justice practices would provide direct victim input and have been implemented in many countries across the globe. However, most western nations continue to permit only limited victim involvement in criminal justice procedures, specifically in prosecutorial and judicial administration.