Welcoming Remarks

by

OVC Director Aileen Adams

Law Enforcement Victim-Witness Coordinator Conference

Panama City, Florida

October 22, 1996

EACH OF YOU PLAYS A VERY CRUCIAL ROLE IN AN ADMINISTRATION THAT IS COMMITTED TO HELPING CRIME VICTIMS. PRESIDENT CLINTON SAID RECENTLY IN THE ROSE GARDEN THAT CRIME VICTIMS "SHOULD BE AT THE CENTER OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESS, NOT ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN." OUR ATTORNEY GENERAL, A GREAT VICTIM ADVOCATE, CONSISTENTLY CHALLENGES THOSE OF US WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO ENSURE THIS CENTRAL ROLE.

ON BEHALF OF THE OFFICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO WELCOME YOU HERE. WE ARE VERY PLEASED TO HAVE WORKED SO CLOSELY WITH EOUSA TO SPONSOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE THE WAYS WE WORK TOGETHER TO PROVIDE CRUCIAL SERVICES AND RIGHTS TO CRIME VICTIMS.

AT THE END OF THIS CONFERENCE, YOU SHOULD LEAVE WITH TWO RESOURCES INVALUABLE IN THIS WORK: KNOWLEDGE AND COMMITMENT -- KNOWING THE LAWS, THE DIVERSE RESOURCES, AND THE MANY PLAYERS WHO PROVIDE SERVICES TO CRIME VICTIMS; AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO BRING THESE IMPORTANT PLAYERS TOGETHER IN EACH DISTRICT ON A REGULAR BASIS TO ENSURE COORDINATED VICTIM SERVICES.

COORDINATION, AS ALL OF US KNOW, IS A CONSTANT MANDATE FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. IT IS PROBABLY THE WORD THAT WE HEAR HER USE THE MOST. BUT IN FAR TOO MANY DISTRICTS, COORDINATION OF VICTIMS SERVICES IS NOT A REALITY. THIS CONFERENCE WILL GIVE YOU THE TOOLS TO MAKE IT A WAY OF LIFE IN ALL OF YOUR DISTRICTS.

AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, OVC AND OUR NEARLY 3,000 STATE AND LOCAL GRANTEES ARE VERY KEY PLAYERS IN ANY COORDINATED EFFORT TO PROVIDE VICTIM SERVICES. YOU AND WE ARE TRULY PART OF THE SAME FAMILY. IN FACT, OVC WOULD NOT EXIST WITHOUT YOU.

OVC ADMINISTERS THE CRIME VICTIMS FUND -- MONIES COLLECTED PRIMARILY BY YOUR OFFICES --- FROM FEDERAL CRIMINAL OFFENDERS. THIS PAST YEAR, COLLECTIONS EXCEEDED HALF A BILLION DOLLARS -- MORE THAN TWICE THE AMOUNT EVER COLLECTED BEFORE.

THE VICTIM SERVICES THAT YOU RELY ON IN YOUR DISTRICTS, AS WELL AS TRAININGS ON VICTIMS ISSUES LIKE THIS ONE, WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THIS FUND. BY LAW, OVER 90 PERCENT OF THESE FUNDS SUPPORT LOCAL VICTIM ASSISTANCE AND COMPENSATION PROGRAMS --- THE LIFELINE SERVICES THAT ENABLE VICTIMS TO HEAL. YOUR COMMITMENT TO COLLECTING FINES MEANS THAT STATE COMPENSATION PROGRAMS GET SIGNIFICANT FEDERAL SUPPORT, AS DO THOUSANDS OF BATTERED WOMEN'S SHELTERS, RAPE CRISIS CENTERS, AND CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTERS.

THANK YOU FOR BEING AT THE CENTER OF PROVIDING LOCAL VICTIM SERVICES BECAUSE OF YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CRIME VICTIMS FUND. YOU SHOULD KNOW WHO THOSE SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE IN YOUR COMMUNITY. THE KIND OF PERSONAL INTERACTION THAT WILL TAKE PLACE AT THIS CONFERENCE BETWEEN EXPERTS ON VICTIM ASSISTANCE, VICTIM COMPENSATION, THE FBI, AND U.S. ATTORNEYS' OFFICES -- ALL PLAYERS ON THE SAME TEAM -- SHOULD BE DUPLICATED IN EVERY DISTRICT ON A REGULAR BASIS. YOU CAN LEAD THE WAY TO THAT KIND OF CRITICAL INTERACTION BETWEEN STATE VOCA ADMINISTRATORS, THE FBI, LOCAL VICTIM SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND OTHERS.

THERE ARE MANY OCCASIONS WHEN YOU CAN TURN TO OVC FOR HELP. WE CAN PAY FOR CONFERENCES AND TELECONFERENCES IN YOUR DISTRICTS. WE CAN SEND YOUR STAFF TO SPECIALIZED TRAININGS. WE CAN PAY FOR EXPERTS ON ANY GIVEN VICTIMS TOPIC TO COME TO YOUR DISTRICT TO PROVIDE TRAININGS. WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY FUND TO HELP PAY FOR SERVICES LIKE CRISIS COUNSELING, WHEN ITS NOT AVAILABLE THROUGH OTHER MEANS.

AND OVC, WORKING WITH EOUSA, IS AN ESSENTIAL RESOURCE IN RESPONDING TO ACTS OF TERRORISM AND MASS VIOLENCE. UNDER THE ANTITERRORISM LAW SIGNED BY THE PRESIDENT LAST APRIL, OVC CAN FUND ADDITIONAL SUPPORT IN U.S. ATTORNEYS' OFFICES TO RESPOND TO TERRORIST ACTS. WE HAVE ALREADY UTILIZED THIS NEW PROVISION TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL VICTIM-WITNESS STAFF AND COUNSELORS FOR OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING VICTIMS DURING THE TRIAL. YOU WILL HEAR MORE ABOUT THESE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AND OTHERS ON WEDNESDAY.

BEFORE MOVING TO WASHINGTON THREE YEARS AGO, I SPENT OVER 20 YEARS WORKING DIRECTLY WITH CRIME VICTIMS AS A PROSECUTOR AND LATER AS A VICTIM ADVOCATE. I LEARNED FIRST-HAND THAT VICTIMS GENERALLY ENTER THE SYSTEM WITH THE BELIEF THAT PROSECUTORS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE THEIR ALLIES AND THEIR ADVOCATES. I ALSO KNOW THAT THE GREATEST FRUSTRATION FOR VICTIMS -- IS NOT WHEN A JURY RETURNS WITH A NOT GUILTY VERDICT -- BUT WHEN A MEMBER OF "THEIR TEAM" AS THEY PERCEIVE IT --- LETS THEM DOWN --- WHEN PROSECUTORS OR THEIR STAFFS DO NOT TAKE TIME TO MEET WITH THEM OR CONFER WITH THEM REGARDING THE CASE. WHAT VICTIMS WANT IS SIMPLY TO BE HEARD. THEY WANT A VOICE, NOT A VETO. BECAUSE FOR MOST OF THEM, THE CASE THAT YOU TRY IS PERHAPS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCE OF THEIR LIVES.

IN THE AG GUIDELINES, ATTORNEY GENERAL RENO CHALLENGED ALL OF US TO CONSIDER NOT ONLY THE LETTER BUT ALSO THE SPIRIT OF VICTIM-WITNESS LAWS. IN DOING THAT, A FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION TO ASK IS WHAT ARE THE SERVICES THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE IF WE WERE THE VICTIM? IN ALL OF OUR WORK, WE SHOULD TRY TO VIEW THE SYSTEM THROUGH THE EYES OF CRIME VICTIMS AND TRY TO RESPOND APPROPRIATELY TO THEIR RIGHTS AND TO THE SERVICES THEY NEED TO FIND JUSTICE AND HEALING.

OVC WILL BE THERE TO HELP YOU DO THE MOST THAT YOU CAN DO FOR CRIME VICTIMS IN YOUR DISTRICTS. PLEASE UTILIZE US.