NATIONAL AWARDS LUNCHEON

LUNCHEON ADDRESS

BY

AILEEN ADAMS

CANNON CAUCUS ROOM

SEPTEMBER 18, 1996

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT SHE COULD NOT SPEAK WITH YOU THIS MORNING BECAUSE SHE SO VALUES YOUR WORK AND KNOWS THAT YOU ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE VICTIMS MOVEMENT, SETTING A VERY HIGH STANDARD FOR THE TREATMENT OF CHILD VICTIMS. WHILE I AM SURE YOU'RE DISAPPOINTED NOT TO HEAR FROM OUR EXTRAORDINARY ATTORNEY GENERAL, WHOSE TOP PRIORITY IS OUR NATION'S CHILDREN, I ON THE OTHER HAND, AM VERY PLEASED TO BE WITH YOU TODAY BECAUSE I FEEL SUCH A SPECIAL LINK WITH ALL OF YOU GIVEN MY WORK IN THIS FIELD BEFORE ENTERING GOVERNMENT AND REALLY CONSIDER ALL OF YOU TO BE PIONEERS AND ROLE MODELS FOR THE REST OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. BUD WILL ALWAYS HAVE A VERY SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART FOR INTRODUCING ME IN 1985 TO THE CONCEPT OF A CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER AND HE IS TRULY ONE OF THE HEROES OF THE VICTIMS MOVEMENT FOR ALL OF HIS WORK SINCE THAT TIME. THERE IS NO ONE THAT I LOVE WORKING WITH MORE THAN NANCY CHANDLER BECAUSE SHE IS SUCH A CAN-DO PERSON WITH VISION AND COMMITMENT -- ALWAYS FIGURING OUT WAYS TO EXPAND CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTERS.

THERE IS A VIRTUAL REVOLUTION TAKING PLACE TODAY WITHIN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT DRAMATICALLY BENEFITS VICTIMS OF CRIME. WE SEE THIS IN THE NEW WAYS THAT DIVERSE PROFESSIONALS ARE WORKING TOGETHER

EXAMPLE NEW YORK

EXAMPLE JACKSONVILLE

THE REVOLUTION IS UNDERSCORED BY DRAMATIC FEDERAL AND STATE LEGISLATION. IN A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL WE HAVE ENACTED THE 1994 CRIME ACT WHICH IS HELPING TO PUT 100,000 POLICE OFFICERS ON THE STREET; ESTABLISHING PREVENTION PROGRAMS TO GIVE KIDS SOMETHING TO SAY YES TO; AND HAS EXPANDED THE RIGHTS OF CRIME VICTIMS. WE HAVE THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT, WHICH IS PART OF THE 1994 CRIME ACT, AND AUTHORIZED $1.6 BILLION TO SUPPORT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROGRAMS, AND RECENTLY ESTABLISHED A NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE. WE HAVE THE BRADY ACT WHICH REQUIRES A WAITING PERIOD BEFORE THE PURCHASE OF HANDGUNS AND HAS HELPED TO DETER MORE THAN 60,000 CONVICTED FELONS FROM HAVING HANDGUNS.

THE RECENTLY ENACTED FEDERAL MEGAN'S LAW REQUIRES STATES TO TELL A COMMUNITY WHEN A DANGEROUS SEXUAL PREDATOR ENTERS ITS MIDST. NAMED AFTER A 7-YEAR-OLD NEW JERSEY GIRL WHO WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AND MURDERED IN 1994 BY A TWICE-CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER, THIS LAW CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IT BEARS THE NAME OF ONE CHILD, BUT IT WAS PASSED TO PROTECT EVERY CHILD.

THE PRESIDENT AND THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT FOUGHT SUCCESSFULLY FOR THE VICTIMS' PROVISION OF THE 1996 ANTITERRORISM ACT WHICH PROVIDES MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FUNDING TO STRENGTHEN ANTITERRORISM EFFORTS, MADE RESTITUTION MANDATORY IN VIOLENT CRIME CASES, AND EXPANDED OVC'S AUTHORITY TO ASSIST VICTIMS OF TERRORISM, BOTH AT HOME AND ABROAD.

WE KNOW THAT WE ARE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT BASED UPON CRIME STATISTICS. YESTERDAY, THE BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS RELEASED ITS ANNUAL VICTIMIZATION SURVEY WHICH DOCUMENTED THAT VIOLENT CRIME IS DOWN BY 9%.

FROM THE CRIME BILL TO THE BRADY BILL TO THE ANTITERRORISM BILL, WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR CRIME VICTIMS, BUT WE HAVE MUCH TO DO. THOSE LAWS CONTAIN PROTECTIONS FOR VICTIMS BUT AS IMPORTANT AS THOSE PROTECTIONS ARE, THEY DO NOT AND CANNOT GIVE VICTIMS EQUAL STATUS WITH THE ACCUSED. THAT'S THE NEXT STEP WE NEED TO TAKE AND WHY THE PRESIDENT HAS ENDORSED A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT FOR CRIME VICTIMS.

ONE OF THE MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR CRIME VICTIMS NOT ONLY DURING THIS PAST YEAR BUT DURING THE PAST MANY YEARS IS THE STRONG SUPPORT THAT HAS BEEN GENERATED FOR A VICTIMS' RIGHTS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT GUARANTEEING VICTIMS FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS WITHIN OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS WITHIN OUR GRASP. IT WAS A PROUD MOMENT WHEN SOME OF US HERE STOOD IN THE ROSE GARDEN LAST JUNE AND HEARD THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES SUPPORT SUCH AN AMENDMENT, SAYING -- QUOTE "WHEN SOMEONE IS A VICTIM OF VIOLENT CRIME, THEY SHOULD BE AT THE CENTER OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESS -- NOT ON THE OUTSIDE BEGGING TO LOOK IN --- IT IS TIME FOR AMERICANS TO PROCLAIM THAT 'WITH JUSTICE FOR ALL' MEANS JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS AS WELL."

AFTER CAREFULLY REVIEWING THE AMENDMENT PROPOSED BY SENATORS KYL AND FEINSTEIN, THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CONCLUDED THAT THE BEST WAY TO SECURE CONSISTENT AND COMPREHENSIVE RIGHTS FOR VICTIMS IS BY INCLUDING THOSE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS WITHIN THE U.S. CONSTITUTION. THESE INCLUDE THE RIGHT TO BE INFORMED OF AND NOT TO BE EXCLUDED FROM PUBLIC COURT PROCEEDINGS; THE RIGHT TO BE NOTIFIED OF MAJOR CASE EVENTS AND THE STATUS OF THE OFFENDER; THE RIGHT TO BE HEARD, IF PRESENT, BY THE COURT ABOUT RELEASE FROM CUSTODY, SENTENCING, AND PLEAS; THE RIGHT TO BE HEARD BY THE PAROLE BOARD WHEN IT CONSIDERS AN OFFENDER'S RELEASE; AND THE RIGHT TO APPROPRIATE RESITUTION.

THESE RIGHTS TO BE PRESENT, TO BE HEARD, TO BE INFORMED ARE NOT REVOLUTIONARY. IN FACT, AT TIMES, THEY ARE A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH. THOSE OF US WHO HAVE WORKED WITH CRIME VICTIMS FOR YEARS KNOW THAT MANY IN FACT DO FEEL THAT THEY ARE ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN.

VICTIMS LIKE ROBERTA ROPER AND COUNTLESS OTHERS WHOSE CHILDREN HAVE BEEN MURDERED HAD TRIED TO LISTEN TO THE TRIAL THROUGH THE COURTROOM DOOR, BECAUSE THEY WERE BARRED FROM BEING PRESENT IN THE COURTROOM. WE KNOW OF CASES WHERE JUDGES HAVE SAID TO VICTIMS, QUOTE, "I DON'T HAVE TIME TO LISTEN TO YOUR IMPACT STATEMENT; I'M TOO BUSY" -- EVEN THOUGH GIVING A VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENT IS A RIGHT GUARANTEED IN MOST STATE LAWS. VICTIMS IN THIS COUNTRY TODAY HAVE AN UNEVEN SYSTEM OF JUSTICE. EVERY STATE HAS A DIFFERENT SYSTEM OF RIGHTS FOR VICTIMS; THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS A DIFFERENT SYSTEM; IN MOST JUVENILE PROCEEDINGS VICTIMS HAVE NO RIGHTS; AND IN THE MILITARY SYSTEM VICTIMS HAVE FEW RIGHTS. VICTIMS RIGHTS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DEPEND ON WHERE YOU ARE RAPED OR ROBBED OR THE AGE OF THE OFFENDER. THERE MUST BE A CONSISTENT SET OF RIGHTS FOR VICTIMS IN AMERICA. AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT -- TO PROVIDE A CONSISTENT BASELINE OF RIGHTS.

I BELIEVE THAT A CONSITUTIONAL AMENDMENT IS THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE MESSAGE THAT WE CAN SEND VICTIMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY -- LETTING THEM KNOW, AS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL STATED RECENTLY, THAT THEY ARE A CRITICAL PART OF PROCEEDINGS, NOT JUST A STATISTIC, A PIECE OF EVIDENCE, OR A WITNESS. WHEN ENACTED, THE AMENDMENT WILL ENCOURAGE GREATER PARTICIPATION AND INCREASE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM BY BALANCING THE SCALES OF JUSTICE. THE PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT IS NOT A PARTISAN POLITICAL ISSUE; INDEED IT IS AN ISSUE FOR ALL AMERICANS.