1996 CRIME VICTIMS FUND AWARDS
REMARKS BY
AILEEN ADAMS
APRIL 30, 1996
GOOD AFTERNOON. I AM AILEEN ADAMS, THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME. I AM VERY PLEASED TO WELCOME ALL OF YOU HERE THIS AFTERNOON TO HONOR 17 REMARKABLE INDIVIDUALS -- THIS YEAR'S RECIPIENTS OF THE CRIME VICTIMS FUND AWARDS. EACH OF OUR AWARDEES HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO INCREASE DEPOSITS INTO THE CRIME VICTIMS FUND. THIS FUND SUPPORTS ALMOST 3,000 VICTIM ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND 40 PERCENT OF EVERY STATE COMPENSATION PROGRAM -- SERVICES THAT HAVE HELPED LITERALLY MILLIONS OF CRIME VICTIMS TO HEAL.
THE MONEY IN THE FUND COMES FROM FEDERAL CRIMINAL OFFENDERS -- NOT FROM TAXPAYERS. IT IS DERIVED FROM CRIMINAL FINES, FORFEITED BAIL BONDS, PENALTY FEES, AND SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS, COLLECTED BY U.S. ATTORNEYS' OFFICES, THE U.S. COURTS, AND THE BUREAU OF PRISONS.
THANKS TO THE LEADERSHIP OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, WHO HAS MADE COLLECTIONS OF THESE MONIES A TOP PRIORITY, AND TO THE COLLECTIVE EFFORTS OF OUR AWARDEES, AS WELL AS OTHER DEDICATED FEDERAL AND STATE EMPLOYEES, TOTAL DEPOSITS AVAILABLE TO ASSIST CRIME VICTIMS FOR FY 1995 AMOUNTED TO ALMOST $234 MILLION -- THE MOST EVER.
I WANT TO SPEAK BRIEFLY DIRECTLY TO OUR AWARD RECIPIENTS. AS SOMEONE WHO WORKED FOR 20 YEARS IN THE FIELD AS A VICTIM SERVICE PROVIDER BEFORE COMING TO WASHINGTON, I HAVE SEEN FIRST-HAND HOW THE CRIME VICTIMS FUND -- FEDERAL MONIES -- ARE TRANSLATED INTO LIFELINE SERVICES FOR CRIME VICTIMS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. UNLESS YOU ARE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH THE VICTIMS BENEFITTING FROM THESE SERVICES, IT IS HARD TO IMAGINE THE MAGNITUDE OF THE DIFFERENCE YOU MAKE. PLEASE LISTEN TO THE WORDS THAT ONE SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM WROTE TO HER COUNSELOR WHO WAS FUNDED IN PART THROUGH THE CRIME VICTIMS FUND. SHE WROTE: "WHEN I WAS RAPED, MY WORLD AS I HAD KNOWN IT WAS DESTROYED. I LOST MY CONNECTION TO MYSELF, MY ABILITY TO FUNCTION IN LIFE. THERE WAS NO INNOCENCE, NO JOY, NO TRUST, NO CONTROL, AND NO BELIEF IN THE POSSIBILITY OF TOMORROW ... I HAD EXPERIENCED DEATH WITHOUT DYING. YOU (MEANING HER COUNSELOR) HELPED ME TO SEE THAT ALTHOUGH MY LIFE HAD CHANGED, ALL THE PARTS OF ME I THOUGHT I HAD LOST WERE STILL THERE, DEEP INSIDE OF ME. BECAUSE I WAS RAPED, I WILL FOREVER BE A DIFFERENT PERSON THAN I WAS. BUT I HAVE FACED EVIL AND WITH YOUR HELP I HAVE MOVED BEYOND IT. YOUR WORK IS THE WORK OF ANGELS. YOUR WORDS BUILD ROADS THAT ALLOW VICTIMS TO FIND THEIR WAY BACK TO THE LIVING."
MULTIPLY THAT LETTER MANY THOUSANDS OF TIMES AND YOU WILL BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT THAT YOUR WORK HAS. THINK ABOUT THE HUNDREDS OF BATTERED WOMEN'S SHELTERS THAT ARE THERE IN PART BECAUSE OF YOU. THINK ABOUT THE PROGRAMS IN SOME OF THE MOST REMOTE PARTS OF INDIAN COUNTRY -- THE CHILD ABUSE VICTIMS THAT HAVE AN ADVOCATE AND RECEIVE THE COUNSELING THEY NEED IN PART BECAUSE OF YOUR EFFORTS. THINK ABOUT OUR FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING CENTER (FLETC) WHICH PROVIDES VICTIM-WITNESS TRAINING TO OVER 70 FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY PERSONNEL. YOU SUPPORT THEIR IMPORTANT WORK.
THESE EXAMPLES REPRESENT ONLY A VERY FEW OF THE HUNDREDS OF PROGRAMS THAT WE FUND TO BENEFIT CRIME VICTIMS. BECAUSE OF YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CRIME VICTIMS FUND, YOU ARE A PART OF EACH ONE.
I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE MEMBERS OF THE AWARD REVIEW PANEL WHO HELPED TO SELECT OUR OUTSTANDING AWARDEES FROM MANY NOMINATIONS:
THANK YOU FOR HELPING TO MAKE THIS EVENT POSSIBLE.
IT IS NOW MY PRIVILEGE TO INTRODUCE THE COUNTRY'S FOREMOST ADVOCATE FOR CRIME VICTIMS, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES, JANET RENO.