In the United States, the Witness Protection Program (also known as WITSEC) is established by the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970, which in turn sets out the manner in which the U.S. Attorney General may provide for the relocation and protection of a witness or potential witness of the federal government, or for a state government in an official proceeding concerning organized crime or other serious offences. See 18 U.S.C.A 3521 et. seq.

Witness protection is the process in which witnesses, such as those who testify in criminal trials, are protected against intimidation before their testimony or criminal retaliation after. The U.S. Federal Government both relocates and gives new identities to witnesses who risk their lives by giving testimony as well as providing financial and employment aid. To help avoid discovery, witnesses are expected to sever all ties with former acquaintances. According to the agency, "No program participant following security guidelines has ever been harmed while under the active protection of the Marshals Service"; conversely, nearly all of the witnesses who were harmed had either failed to fully comply, oftentimes contacting old acquaintanceshttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7613455/site/newsweek/, or had already left the program.

The Federal Government also gives grants to the states to enable them to provide the same program. The federal program is called WITSEC (the Federal Witness Protection Program) and was founded in the late 1960s by Gerald Shur when he was in the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section of the United States Department of Justice. Most witnesses are protected by the U.S. Marshals Service, while protection of incarcerated witnesses is the duty of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Normally, the witness is provided with a new name and location. Witnesses are encourages to keep their first names and choose last names with the same initial. The US Marshal Service provides new documentation, assists in finding housing and employment and provides a stipend until the witness gets on their feet, but the stipend can be discontinued if the US Marshal Service feels that the witness is not making an aggressive effort to find a job. Witnesses are not to travel back to their hometowns or contact unprotected family members or former associates. Around 17% of protected witnesses will commit another crime which is a good deal less than the 40% of parolees who return to crime.

Many U.S. states, including California and New York, have their own witness protection programs for crimes not covered by the federal program. The state-run programs provide less extensive protections than the federal program.http://caag.state.ca.us/cbi/content/protection.htmhttp://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00F1EFF3D590C758CDDAE0894DB404482

Known government witnesses

• Joe Barboza
• Frank Cullotta
• Mickey Featherstone
• Sammy Gravano
• Henry Hill
• Carlos Lehder
• Joseph D. Pistone (AKA Donnie Brasco)
• Joseph Valachi

In fiction

Movies

• F/X (1986)
• Goodfellas (1990)
• My Blue Heaven (1990)
• The Client (1994)
• Pretend You Don't See Her (1995)
• Eraser (1996)
• Donnie Brasco (1997)
• See Spot Run (2001)
• Full Throttle (2003)
• Mobsters And Mormons (2005)

Television

• The Simpsons, episode 9F22 "Cape Feare" (season 5 - 1993)
• '' The Movie" (season 5 1994)
• ''Our Lips are Sealed (2000)
• My Name is Earl (2005)
• Prison Break (2005)
• Nip/Tuck (Season 3, Episodes 7-9)(2005)
• Family Guy (2004?-5?)

Further reading

• WITSEC: Inside the Federal Witness Protection Program, Pete Earley and Gerald Shur, Bantam Books, Hardcover February 2002, ISBN 0-553-80145-7, Paperback April 2003, ISBN|0-553-58243-7
• Gregg and Gina Hill, On the Run: A Mafia Childhood, Warner Books, October 14, 2004, hardcover, 256 pages, ISBN 044652770X

References