witness protection program government Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/witness-protection-program Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/witness-protection-program Written by Michele Metych Michele has a B.A. in English from Southeast Missouri State University and an M.A. from DePaul University. She's a Chicago girl at heart, but she still misses living in a place with farms. When she's not... Michele Metych Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Sep 10, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents witness protection program, a government service designed to protect persons whose lives are endangered as a result of their testimony implicating suspects or defendants in criminal investigations or prosecutions. The safety guarantees provided in witness protection programs are usually contingent on the cooperation of the witnesses. Many countries have formal programs in place to protect witnesses and to relocate and resettle them. The federal witness protection program in the United States, known as the Witness Security Program (WITSEC), is overseen by the U.S. Marshals Service, America’s oldest federal law enforcement agency. WITSEC was authorized under Title V of the Organized ...(100 of 732 words)

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