The Alliance for Safety and Justice, a policy advocacy organization powered by over 180,000 crime survivors, recently published a Twitter thread recapping some historic wins around the country for crime victims and their loved ones.
Building on the thread, here’s a brief overview of vital legislation that’s passed around the country in recent weeks, which includes financial assistance for survivors to relocate to a safe place, mental health support, and funding for trauma recovery centers:
- In Arizona, Governor Doug Ducey signed HB 2594, which establishes a “Trauma Recovery Center Fund” that will direct funding to trauma recovery centers in the state that “are survivor-centered and focused on addressing the psychological and psychosocial impact of trauma, with primary goals to decrease psychosocial distress, minimize long-term disability, improve overall quality of life, reduce the risk of future victimization and promote post-traumatic growth.”
The legislation included a strong why statement that’s a solid model for other jurisdictions:
“The State of Arizona is committed to providing for the welfare of crime victims [, including] timely and effective mental health treatment … Without treatment, approximately fifty percent of people who survive a traumatic, violent injury experience lasting or extended psychological or social difficulties. Untreated psychological trauma often has severe economic consequences, including overuse of costly medical services, loss of income, failure to return to gainful employment, loss of medical insurance and loss of stable housing.”
- In Illinois, lawmakers passed HB 2493 which expands eligibility for a 10-day leave of absence from work to grieve and make funeral arrangements for family members who have lost a loved one to violence. Yolanda Carter, a Chicago native who is a survivor of domestic violence, explained to The State Journal Register the importance of this kind of legislation: “Recovering from these traumatic events takes time… but often victims are forced to return to the workforce before they are truly ready, ‘it is simply wrong for survivors to risk losing their jobs when they are planning funerals and grieving the loss of the closest thing to them.’”
- In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB233, or Curtis’ Law, which requires law enforcement to provide basic information about the investigation of a homicide involving a child to the grieving family members. Patricia Ward, whose son Curtis—the namesake of the new law—was murdered at the age of 16, explained to The Florida Phoenix that she had to fight for years just to get basic information about his case, which only exacerbated her suffering and feelings of loss: “Ward said that it was during a period of pain and agony in grieving over his death that she ‘decided to turn pain into purpose’ and “wrote down the basic information I wish I had when my son was first killed…” That effort turned into this new law.
- In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott signed SB49, which expands a crime victim compensation program. For example, the bill increases the amount of support for relocation costs, lifts the cap for lost wages for family members of a victim, and increases support for families taking a leave of absence from work as they grieve or make funeral arrangements.