New laws help victims

TO THE EDITOR:

The time-honored tradition of National Crime Victims' Rights Week is scheduled for April 25 to May 1. This year's theme, "Victims' Voices: Silent No More," emphasizes the power of the personal stories of victims and how their individual and collective voices have improved our justice system and made our communities safer.

Just 20 years ago, crime victims were afforded few rights. Their voices were muted, and limited services were available to provide them with support and assistance. This mask of silence has been lifted in our halls of justice, in state houses, and in communities where the voice of the victim is valued today for the vision it provides for true justice.

The results are impressive. Today, over 10,000 organizations provide quality services and assistance to victims of crime, including a number of providers in Pierce County. Thirty thousand laws have been passed at the federal and state levels that define and protect victims' rights.

While most crimes have decreased in our nation, those who have been touched by crime know today that other victims, service providers, and justice professionals stand ready to serve them and to listen to their voices.

Consider for a moment what victims' voices offer. When victims report crimes, the likelihood of criminal activity decreases.

Victims who come forward as witnesses in criminal and juvenile justice cases provide vital and valuable testimony that helps resolve cases. When victims are given a voice at sentencing and parole-release hearings, they provide our justice system with insights into the short- and long-term effects of crime on victims, their loved ones, and our community as a whole.

When victims have the opportunity to define the harm that crime causes, crime rightfully becomes personal. It becomes an offense that hurts a real person with a name, a face, a family, a job, a home.

Victims' voices have had a marked impact on community justice as well. Victims helping victims results in mutual support groups and peer counseling that help other victims reconstruct their lives in the aftermath of a crime.

Victims' voices also have a profound impact on public policy that affects community safety, resulting in responsible laws that balance the rights of the accused with those of people hurt by crime.

Learn about needs and concerns of violent crime victims. Contact the Pierce County Victim Awareness Program for information on how to recognize when someone you know has been victimized and how to help them be heard.

Persons who need assistance or would like more information about the program may contact the Victim/ Witness Assistance Program, Pierce County Courthouse, Ellsworth, WI 54011, or call 273-3531, ext. 454.

Pam Bellrichard, coordinator

Victim/ Witness

Assistance Program

Pierce County