Crime Survivors Introduces- "Be Their Voice" Campaign
Victims' rights advocacy organization, Crime Survivors, has announced the launch of a major campaign intended to expose the failure of criminal justice laws that have been implemented across Texas. Entitled "Be Their Voice," the campaign invites families and friends of victims of violent crime to stand up and be heard on behalf of their loved ones who may be unable to do so themselves.
The campaign emerged from the growing concerns of citizens who felt that the national criminal justice reform movement has recast the perpetrators of crimes into the role of victims, while the true victims of their actions have been tossed aside. Bail reform measures, in particular, have focused on the plight of defendants and what has been said to be the unfairness of their being unable to afford to bail themselves out. In response, many jurisdictions have taken to either lowering the cost of bail or abolishing monetary terms for release altogether. As a result, there has been a wholesale flood of defendants who have been released without any accountability.
"The unsupervised release of dangerous defendants is one the greatest threats to public safety our society is currently facing," said Patricia Wenskunas, Founder of Crime Survivors, which has fought for victims and survivors' rights since it was established in 2003. "For too long, those who have been victimized by them have been reduced to statistics, rather than being seen as real human beings who have suffered and sometimes even died at their hands."
Wenskunas continued, "We absolutely should have compassion for individuals charged with minor crimes and are stuck in jail. We need to seek intelligent solutions for them. But the answer is not simply throwing open the doors of our jails to defendants, even when they have a history of violence. Simply hoping they will show up for court and not offend again while they are free is irresponsible. Victims and their loved ones deserve more."
Wenskunas added, "These policies have had a devastating impact on crime survivors. Catch and release policies allow tormentors to be released immediately, allowing them to continue destroying lives. Reforms are chasing victims of crimes into hiding, out of sheer fear."
Wenskunas formed Crime Survivors after she nearly died following a brutal attack by someone she knew and trusted. Her non-profit organization is dedicated to ensuring that victims and survivors of violent crime are protected and their rights supported by working closely with law enforcement, the judicial system and the community.
The centerpiece of the "Be Their Voice" campaign is a newly-created website, https://CrimeSurvivorsBeTheirVoice.com/, which invites the survivors and victims of failed criminal justice reform to share their compelling first-hand accounts in its "Voicebox" section. Their stories will also be shared to Facebook and Twitter. The effort is intended to inform the public, while also inviting them to stand up and add their voices, by sharing their own stories or those of their loved ones.
About Crime Survivors
Crime Survivors’ vision is for victims of crime to recover from their experience mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially, by receiving the respect, support, and protection of law enforcement, the judicial system, and the community.
The mission of Crime Survivors is to provide hope and healing to victims and survivors of crime through advocacy and the support of resources, information, and empowerment from the critical time after a crime occurs through the challenges and successes of surviving and thriving. www.crimesurvivors.org
For more information go to https://CrimeSurvivors.org
Follow us on Facebook-
Crime Survivors- Main Page CLICK HERE.
Crime Survivors- "Be Their Voice" Page CLICK HERE.
Follow us on Twitter-
Crime Survivors- Main Page CLICK HERE.
Crime Survivors- "Be Their Voice" Page CLICK HERE.
How To Get Involved:
If you would like to honor a survivor or victim of violent crime, you can create your own card at crimesurvivorsbetheirvoice.com.
By honoring your friends or family members you can help in asking others to spread the word that law and order matters and public safety matters. The survivors and victims of violent crime may not be able to stand up for themselves and vote in this election or future elections, but we can "Be Their Voice."
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