The week of April 21 –27, 2013, is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW).  This annual observance, first designated by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, seeks to increase general public awareness of, and knowledge about the wide range of rights and services available to people who have been victimized by crime.  The theme for 2013 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is “New Challenges. New Solutions.”

Since 2004, the NCVRW Community Awareness Project has provided financial and technical assistance to 610 communities. OVC also promotes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week by sponsoring a Resource Guide that contains educational content, campaign materials, artwork, and public service announcements to increase general public understanding of crime victims’ rights and concerns and to educate crime victims and survivors about available resources.

NCVRW Community Awareness Project funding supports community collaboration on victim and public awareness activities, and innovative approaches to victim outreach and public education about victims’ rights and services during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and throughout the year. The KDOC Office of Victim Services was one of the 77 projects recommended by the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators and selected for funding by OVC for 2013 from the 169 applications that were submitted nationwide.

According to Joye Frost, Acting Director of OVC, the Community Awareness Project helps generate widespread public awareness of crime victims’ rights and needs, and the importance of engaging all Americans in victim assistance efforts.

“Recent studies show that too many crime victims and survivors do not avail themselves of the many services in our communities that can help them through very devastating experiences. National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is our opportunity to support public awareness of crime victims’ rights and the critical, often life-saving, services provided by thousands of programs across our Nation to help crime victims,” Frost said.   

Libby Keogh, Director for the KDOC Office of Victim Services, said the Community Awareness Project will be sponsored statewide and will be done in collaboration with partnering organizations, including the Kansas Organization for Victim Assistance (KOVA). Awareness materials will be provided to Kansas Department of Corrections employees and state legislators throughout the week and a “Courage Walk” around the State Capitol is planned for April 26, 2013 to honor those who have been victims of crime.  The “Courage Walk” will be followed by a “Voices of Victims” rally and picnic that will provide survivors of crime the opportunity to share their stories of courage and remembrance with those gathered.  An award will be presented to a non-advocate who has made a difference in the life of a crime victim.

“The support from NAVAA and OVC for our 2013 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week activities will help us help crime victims,” Libby Keogh said.  “Members of our community are encouraged to help promote justice through service to crime victims by joining our 2013 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week activities and supporting victim assistance programs throughout the year.”

For  additional information about 2013 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week activities or about victims’ rights and services offered by the Kansas Department of Corrections please contact Libby Keogh, 785-296-7429 or visit our Web site at www.doc.ks.gov/victim-services.  For information about national efforts to promote 2013 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, please visit the Office for Victims of Crime Web site at http://www.ovc.gov.

The National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators is a non-profit organization that represents the 56 state agencies that distribute funds from the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) to more than 4,000 direct victim assistance service providers.  All of the funds for VOCA programs come from criminal fines and other penalties paid by federal criminal offenders and not from taxpayer dollars.