Some offenders are ordered by a court to write apology letters to their victims. Other offenders may be personally motivated to do so, without being ordered by a court.
Court-ordered apology letters are generally sent to the Victim/Witness Coordinator in the District Attorney's Office in the county of conviction. From there, Victim/Witness Coordinators will typically forward the letter to the victim or contact the victim to say that the court-ordered apology letter has been received.
Apology letters written without a court order are sent to the Department of Corrections' (DOC) Office of Victim Services and Programs (OVSP), where the letter is screened. If the apology letter contains harmful or inappropriate content, it will be returned to the offender for revision. If the apology letter is deemed acceptable and the enrolled victim has indicated an interest in receiving an apology letter, OVSP will send a letter to victims enrolled in DOC NOTIS notifying them that OVSP has recieved an apology letter.
If an offender sends an apology letter to OVSP for a victim or survivor who is not enrolled in DOC NOTIS, the letter will remain in the Apology Letter Bank until the offender is discharged from DOC custody or supervision.