SPEECH GIVEN AT
THE OJP ANNIVERSARY EVENT
BY
AILEEN ADAMS
DIRECTOR, OFFICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME
OCTOBER 11, 1995
TODAY IS A CELEBRATION OF ALL OF OUR WORK -- AND WE AT THE OFFICE
FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME ESPECIALLY CELEBRATE THE CLOSE OJP
COLLABORATION THAT HAS BEEN FORGED TO BENEFIT CRIME VICTIMS.
THIS YEAR, THE THEME FOR NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMS RIGHTS WEEK WAS
"PLANTING SEEDS, HARVESTING JUSTICE." I WOULD LIKE TO DESCRIBE SOME
OF THE SEEDS THAT WE HAVE PLANTED TOGETHER SO THAT WE CAN HARVEST
GREATER JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS.
IN 1995, OVC BEGAN DEVELOPING WITH DOZENS OF EXPERTS A NATIONAL
CRIME VICTIMS AGENDA -- WHAT WE HOPE WILL BECOME A GUIDE FOR
ACTION INTO THE NEXT CENTURY.
THE AGENDA WILL HIGHLIGHT PROMISING PRACTICES USED BY DIVERSE
PROFESSIONS; DESCRIBE HOW NEW TECHNOLOGIES CAN BENEFIT VICTIMS;
AND ADDRESS MANY MAJOR ISSUES, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING:
FIRST - THE ENFORCEMENT OF VICTIMS' RIGHTS: WHILE VIRTUALLY EVERY
STATE HAS A VICTIMS' BILL OF RIGHTS, IN MANY PLACES, THESE RIGHTS
REMAIN UNENFORCED; VICTIMS ARE NEVER INFORMED OF WHAT THEY ARE;
AND THEY APPLY ONLY TO CERTAIN VICTIMS -- NOT TO ALL VICTIMS OF
SERIOUS CRIMES.
SECOND - THE LACK OF VICTIM SERVICES: IN SOME COMMUNITIES, THERE ARE
EXTENSIVE SERVICES FOR CRIME VICTIMS. THERE ARE NOW 250 CHILDREN'S
ADVOCACY CENTERS, WHICH CO-LOCATE THE SERVICES OF MANY DIFFERENT
AGENCIES IN ONE CHILD-ORIENTED SETTING. THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE,
FLORIDA, BUILT A VICTORIAN HOME WHERE EVERY CRIME VICTIM CAN
RECEIVE THE SERVICES THEY NEED. THESE ARE THE KIND OF PIONEERING
PARTNERSHIPS THAT OVC HELPS TO FUND, BUT IN TOO MANY COMMUNITIES --
PARTICULARLY IN RURAL AREAS AND MINORITY NEIGHBORHOODS -- CRUCIAL
VICTIM SERVICES REMAIN UNAVAILABLE.
THIRD - THE LACK OF VICTIMS' RIGHTS IN JUVENILE PROCEEDINGS: WE KNOW
THAT JUVENILE CRIME IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING SEGMENTS OF
VIOLENT CRIME IN AMERICA. BUT MOST JUVENILE HEARINGS REMAIN
CLOAKED IN SECRECY, AND VICTIMS HAVE NO RIGHTS, SUCH AS THE RIGHT TO
DELIVER A VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENT TO THE JUDGE.
THE NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMS AGENDA WILL ADDRESS THESE AND MANY
OTHER ISSUES.
IN 1995, OVC LAUNCHED THE NATIONAL VICTIM ASSISTANCE ACADEMY, THE
FIRST FEDERAL TRAINING INSTITUTE FOR VICTIM ADVOCATES. THIS
INTENSIVE ONE-WEEK COURSE WAS AN HISTORIC EFFORT TO HELP
PROFESSIONALIZE THE FIELD AND WILL BE EXPANDED NEXT YEAR.
IN EARLY 1995, OVC HAD ALREADY COMMITTED SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES TO
HELP COMMUNITIES RESPOND TO MAJOR VIOLENT CATASTROPHES.
FOLLOWING THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING, WE FUNDED THREE CRISIS
RESPONSE TEAMS, WHICH CONDUCTED MORE THAN 2,000 DEBRIEFINGS FOR
VICTIMS, FOR EMERGENCY SERVICE PERSONNEL, AND FOR TEACHERS AND
SCHOOL CHILDREN. JUST LAST WEEK, WE ENTERED INTO OUR FIRST
INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND BJA
TO TRAIN TEACHERS ACROSS THE NATION IN CRISIS RESPONSE.
IN 1995, WE DISTRIBUTED $150 MILLION TO ALL STATES FROM THE CRIME
VICTIMS FUND -- MONEY COLLECTED FROM FEDERAL CRIMINALS -- NOT FROM
TAXPAYERS. THIS PROVIDED SIGNIFICANT FUNDING FOR ALL STATE VICTIM
COMPENSATION PROGRAMS AND SOME 3,000 VICTIM ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.
IN ADDITION, WE PROVIDED FUNDING FOR 40 NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES TO
COORDINATE THE HANDLING OF CHILD ABUSE AND FAMILY VIOLENCE CASES,
AND WE SPONSORED VICTIM-WITNESS TRAININGS THAT REACHED 70
DIFFERENT FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. WORKING CLOSELY
WITH THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN OFFICE, WE HELPED LAUNCH
INNOVATIVE PROJECTS, INCLUDING A MENTORING PROGRAM TO FUND TEAMS
FROM COMMUNITIES WITHOUT COORDINATED SERVICES FOR DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE VICTIMS TO VISIT EFFECTIVE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS IN
OTHER COMMUNITIES.
OTHER OVC PROJECTS WILL IDENTIFY THE UNIVERSITIES, SUCH AS LAW
SCHOOLS AND MEDICAL SCHOOLS, THAT HAVE DEVELOPED THE BEST
CURRICULA ON CRIME VICTIMS ISSUES, AS WELL AS THE AGENCIES -- FROM
POLICE TO CORRECTIONS -- THAT ARE MOST EFFECTIVE AND INNOVATIVE IN
PROVIDING SERVICES TO VICTIMS. WITH THIS INFORMATION, OVC WILL BE
ABLE TO HELP SET AND DISSEMINATE HIGH STANDARDS TO THE FIELD.
IN CONCLUDING, I WANT TO DESCRIBE ONE OF MY MOST SIGNIFICANT
EXPERIENCES AS OVC DIRECTOR. I RECENTLY HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF
MEETING CHERYL BESS, THE RECIPIENT OF AN OVC SPECIAL COURAGE AWARD
PRESENTED BY THE PRESIDENT AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. TEN YEARS
AGO, CHERYL WAS A STRAIGHT-A STUDENT IN THE NINTH GRADE. SHE
DREAMED OF BECOMING A DOCTOR AND WORKING IN HER AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY. WHILE WALKING TO SCHOOL ON A BEAUTIFUL
OCTOBER DAY LIKE TODAY, CHERYL WAS OFFERED A RIDE BY THE JANITOR
OF HER BUILDING, WHO WAS ALSO A REPEAT SEX OFFENDER. HE DROVE HER
TO THE DESERT, WHERE HE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED HER, THREW ACID ON HER
FACE AND ARMS, AND LEFT HER TO DIE. CHERYL TOLD HERSELF THAT SHE
HAD TO SURVIVE, BECAUSE HER MOTHER WOULD NEVER RECOVER FROM HER
DEATH. SHE WANDERED IN AGONY FOR 8 HOURS BEFORE BEING RESCUED.
CHERYL IS BLIND, DEAF IN ONE EAR, AND PHYSICALLY DISFIGURED BEYOND
RECOGNITION. BUT HER ASSAILANT COULD NOT STRIP HER OF HER VOICE,
NOR COULD HE TAKE HER OPTIMISTIC, DETERMINED SPIRIT. TODAY, CHERYL
IS NOT ONLY A MAGNIFICENT GOSPEL SINGER, A COLLEGE STUDENT, AND THE
HOST OF A RADIO TALK SHOW, BUT ALSO ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL
ADVOCATES FOR VICTIMS' RIGHTS AND SERVICES IN THE COUNTRY. SHE
REMINDS US ALL THAT THE HUMAN SPIRIT CAN OVERCOME ANY TRAGEDY,
AND THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE FOR CRIME VICTIMS. I WANT TO THANK
THE DEDICATED STAFF OF OVC. I KNOW I SPEAK FOR THEM WHEN I SAY THAT
IT IS A TRUE PRIVILEGE TO WORK WITH AND FOR THE MANY REMARKABLE
SURVIVORS OF CRIME, LIKE CHERYL, WHO INSPIRE US DAILY.
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