Victim Issues in the Nationa lNews

Improve Your Practice with NAVRA
The NAVRA website re-launched this past February. The new site offers searchable databases of case summaries, amicus briefs, and sample pleadings. Paid members can access our library of past trainings at their convenience. There is also an online forum for members to discuss shared victim law questions and strategies.
Now is the perfect time to join as paid NAVRA members receive a $50 discount on registration to the upcoming NCVLI Crime Victim Law Conference (see below for more details). Join today by clicking http://www.navra.org/join

Upcoming NCVLI Conference
Registration is now open for NCVLI's Crime Victim Law Conference! (Click here to register!) The Conference will take place June 14-15, 2011 in Portland, Oregon. The Conference, now in its 10th year, is the only national conference dedicated to rights enforcement in criminal cases. Join us to celebrate 10 years of litigation successes while recognizing emerging challenges to victims' rights.
Who Should Attend: Attendees will learn what it means to enforce victims' rights. It is ideal for victims' rights attorneys, victim advocates, program managers, prosecutors, social workers, psychologists, law enforcement, researchers, administrators, nonprofit attorneys, private attorneys, and anyone working with crime victims.

Program Highlights: The Conference will feature a keynote plenary session by Susan Levy, mother of murder victim Chandra Levy, accompanied by her attorney, Jani Tillery of the D.C. Crime Victims' Resource Center, Inc. Ms. Levy will share her story of seeking justice, and Ms. Tillery will talk about the legal work that went on behind the scenes to ensure all of her rights were protected.

We will also have plenary sessions by The Honorable Paul J. De Muniz, Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court; Dr. Irvin Waller, a leading criminologist and author of the new book, Rights for Victims of Crime: Rebalancing Justice; and Heather Cartwright,Coordinator, Deputy Attorney General's Victims of Crime Working Group U.S. Department of Justice.

Funding Available for Coalitions To Assist Identity Theft Victims

Deadline: June 15, 2011

OVC is pleased to announce the launch of a National Identity Theft Victims' Network cooperative agreement with the Maryland Crime Victims' Resource Center, Inc., (MCVRC) to facilitate up to nine subawards of up to $50,000 each to create or support regional, statewide or community-based coalitions to assist victims of identity theft.

This national scope project is designed to encourage the expansion of victim service programs via victim assistance coalitions to improve their responses to victims of identity theft. The project's overarching goal is to expand the outreach and capacity of victim service programs to better address the rights and needs of victims of identity theft.

MCVRC will provide support and guidance to the subrecipient coalitions—working to create or improve their service delivery portfolio at the local, state, and regional level to better address the needs of victims of identity theft and to provide them with appropriate assistance.

Applications must be submitted by June 15, 2011, through MCVRC at www.mdcrimevictims.egrant.net. Applicants are encouraged to begin the application process well in advance of the June 15th deadline.

--------------------------------------

Those interested in applying can read the full solicitation for its requirements and eligibility criteria on the MCVRC Web site at

http://mdcrimevictims.org/ID%20theft%20Network/_pages/ab_rfp.htm

Maryland Crime Victims’ Resource Center, Inc.
Announces Launch of National Identity Theft Victims’ Network Project

Upper Marlboro, Maryland – The Maryland Crime Victims’ Resource Center, Inc. (MCVRC) is pleased to announce the launch of a National Identity Theft Victims’ Network cooperative agreement with the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) to facilitate up to nine sub-awards of up to $50,000 each to create or support regional or statewide coalitions to assist victims of identity theft.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports there are around 8.3 million Americans who become identity theft victims each year. Yet very few victim service providers have had specific training on identity theft victimization and coordination is lacking among professionals who come into contact with this victim population. This project seeks to fill a significant gap in support by developing infrastructure, training materials, outreach tools and direct victim assistance services to this underserved group.

The subrecipient coalitions will assist victims of identity theft by encouraging the expansion of existing victim service programs to improve the responses to victims of identity theft. The project’s overarching goal will expand the outreach and capacity of victim service programs to better address the rights and needs of victims of identity theft.

As a legal service provider with expertise in both victims’ rights and identity theft, and as a cooperative partner in several prior OVC pass through agreements, MCVRC’s leadership will help to build and create an infrastructure, training materials, outreach tools and direct victim assistance services to better serve the under-served population of identity theft victims. MCVRC will provide support and guidance to the subrecipient coalitions, working to create or improve their current service delivery portfolio at the local, state and regional level to better address the needs of and assistance to identity theft victims.

The Request for Proposals and sub-award application instructions will be made available and announced on MCVRC’s website at www.mdcrimevictims.org in Spring of 2011. Interested organizations throughout the United States, including nonprofits and governmental entities are encouraged to contact MCVRC immediately for placement on the notification list to receive important updates.

Additionally, MCVRC is seeking a Project Director for the National Identity Theft Network collaborative project. The Project Director is a part of the Identity Theft Networks Team at MCVRC, located in Upper Marlboro, MD and will have overall responsibility for the success of the subrecipient sites in meeting their project goals. Please see our website at mdcrimevictims.org for the full position announcement. Applicants should submit their resume and cover letter as one attachment via email to jobs@mdcrimevictims.org. Please use the subject line “Identity Theft Project Director.”

About MCVRC: MCVRC was founded in 1982 as the Stephanie Roper Committee by Roberta and Vince Roper after the brutal murder of their daughter Stephanie. Since its founding, MCVRC has become a national leader in victims’ rights advocacy and representation. MCVRC’s services, all offered free of charge, include: criminal justice support and education; individual, family and group counseling; legal assistance; faith-based referrals; and advocacy to improve the treatment of victims who suffer the devastating consequences of undeserved crime. Visit us on the web at www.mdcrimevictims.org.

The National Crime Victims’ Service Awards
submission deadline is fast approaching!

OVC encourages you to nominate outstanding victim service providers, allied professionals, and crime victims and survivors for the 2011 National Crime Victims’ Service Awards with our convenient Online Nomination Form.

OVC annually recognizes individuals and organizations that demonstrate outstanding service in supporting victims and victim services. The award recipients will be honored at the National Crime Victims' Service Awards Ceremony on April 8, 2011, a prelude event to National Crime Victims' Rights Week, April 10–16, 2011.

Visit OVC's Gallery to read about individuals and programs that have received awards in previous years. Extraordinary people that have been recognized in past years include, among others, a person with a disability serving as an advocate for victims of crime who have disabilities; a police chaplain who helps victims and law enforcement handle the emotional aftermath of violent crime; and a licensed psychotherapist who implemented an anti-trafficking program, and developed a training program and direct intervention model to assist victims of the World Trade Center attacks.

Don't miss this opportunity. The National Crime Victims' Service Awards Online Nominations are due Wednesday, September 15, 2010.

Long time list member B. Bruce Cook, chaplain and Director of Pastoral Care at the Crime Victims Advocacy Council in Atlanta GA, would like to let our members know of his new book, "Redeeming the Wounded".

If you are interested in more information, you can contact him at:
Rev. Dr. B. Bruce Cook
4329 Valley Trail Dr. SE
Atlanta, GA 30339
770-639-9585 (cell)
askcvac@aol.com

The National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims
will be held on Saturday, September 25th, 2010, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. This will be co-hosted by the National Organization Of Parents Of Murdered Children, Inc. and Maryland Crime Victims Resource Center, Inc. It is sponsored by the Office for Victims of Crime and scholarships are available for travel and lodging. Download the scholarship form.

13 Jul 2010

A woman who complained to police that she was being stalked, only to be arrested herself for wasting police time, has said she is taking legal action for wrongful imprisonment.

Kate Hall, 47, had been stalked for more than 20 years by a man named David Williamson, who had held her hostage in the past and smashed her kneecap with steel toe-capped boots, the Scotsman reports....

Link to full article

NCVLI is seeking information on best practices relating to how victims are treated by state civil commitment systems across the country. We are seeking information such as:

• How victims are notified of hearings or status changes? Does this vary for child victims?
• How is the victim accommodated if she or he cannot physically attend the hearing?
• How is the victim’s identifying information protected?
• How is the victim’s physical comfort and safety protected?

We’d also like to hear if there is a practice not on this list that works particularly well or was a resounding failure. The hope is that by gathering this information we can assist states in developing their respective systems to be respectful, responsive, and sensitive to victims.

Please send your comments to Marti Long at mlong@lclark.edu or call NCVLI at 503.768.6965.

The 24th Annual National POMC Conference will be hosted by the Delaware County Chapter in Philadelphia, PA on August 12 through August 15. The conference is being held at the Philadelphia Marriott Hotel, One Arrivals Road, Philadelphia, PA. Room rate is $89.00 per nite plus tax and the cost of registration is $220.00. Download the Conference Registration Forms. If you have any questions about the conference, e-mail at delcoconf20100@msn.com. As of now, there is no word of any scholarships available. For more information about the conference please check POMC Conference Website.

OJP Grants 101 provides an overview of OJP grants and funding opportunities and describes the entire grant process—from choosing what type of grant is right for your organization to how a grant is awarded.
Through OJP Grants 101 you will learn—

www.firstcoastnews.com

Representatives Ted Poe and Jim Costa, co-chairs of the Congressional Crime Victim Rights Caucus, introduced H.R. 3402, "The Crime Victims Fund Preservation Act of 2009", which is attached to this email This is a companion bill with identical language, to S. 1340, introduced last month by Sens. Patrick Leahy and Mike Crapo.

Under the proposal, the VOCA cap will be set at a minimum level that, beginning in 2011, will increase by 23 percent each year through 2014. In other words, the VOCA cap in 2014 would be at least $1.6 billion. This will draw down the growing amounts being kept in the Fund and use those funds for victim assistance services, as intended by VOCA. The amount retained in the Fund by the end of 2014 will be at least $800 million, enough to ensure the Fund's ongoing sustainability (this projection does not include any new or currently unknown large criminal fines that will be collected during this period and is therefore a very conservative estimate).

Interview of interest identified by NAVRA members on Marsy's Law

Dear Friends:

In just two days since the KTTV Fox 11 interview with Dr. Henry “Nick” Nicholas and his mother Marcella Leach about Marsy’s Law was posted on You Tube, dozens of victims’ rights supporters have viewed the program.

As many of you know, on May 17 Emmy Award-winning crime reporter Tony Valdez devoted his entire half-hour show on KTTV Fox 11 in Los Angeles to the interview.

Nick and Marcella -- the brother and mother of murder victim Marsalee (Marsy) Nicholas, for whom Marsy’s Law is named -- talked at length about the history of Justice for Homicide Victims, which was co-founded by Marcella, and about Marsy’s Law, the strongest, most comprehensive Victims’ Rights Amendment to any state constitution.

If you missed the show, you don’t get it in your area, or you missed our earlier email, you can still see the interview on YouTube, where many of Mr. Valdez’s interviews are posted.

Even if you have already seen the show, we urge you to go to You Tube and watch all three segments because that will increase national awareness of these issues that are so important to us.

If you or your organization has a web site, we urge you to post the links to the videos so that even more people will have a chance to hear the message justice and due process for the accused doesn’t have to mean silence and suffering for the victims.

Here are the links to the interview on YouTube. It is in three segments, so you need to click the link for each segment, one at a time, to view the entire interview:

Thank you for your support.

Arnold Heilemann

President, Justice for Homicide Victims

February 2nd, 2009 - PRESS RELEASE: Impact of Economic Crisis on Local Police

44% cite increases in crime due to economic crisis. 64% of local police departments are facing cuts in their total funding, survey shows.

February 27, 2009

Child abuse 'impacts stress gene'

BBC - Monday, 23 February 2009

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7901337.stm

Abuse in early childhood permanently alters how the brain reacts to stress, a Canadian study suggests.

Analysis of brain tissue from adults who had committed suicide found key genetic changes in those who had suffered abuse as a child.

It affects the production of a receptor known to be involved in stress responses, the researchers said.

The Nature Neuroscience study underpins the impact of stress on early brain development, experts said.

Previous research has shown that abuse in childhood is associated with an increased reaction to stressful circumstances.

“ Whilst these results obviously need to be replicated, they provide a mechanism by which experiences early in life can have an effect on behaviour later in adulthood ”
Dr Jonathan Mill

But exactly how environmental factors interact with genes and contribute to depression or other mental disorders in adulthood is not well understood.

A research team led by McGill University, in Montreal, examined the gene for the glucocorticoid receptor - which helps control the response to stress - in a specific brain region of 12 suicide victims with a history of child abuse and 12 suicide victims who did not suffer abuse when younger.

They found chemical changes which reduced the activity of the gene in those who suffered child abuse.

And they showed this reduced activity leads to fewer glucocorticoid receptors.

Those affected would have had an abnormally heightened response to stress, the researchers said.

Long-term

It suggests that experience in childhood when the brain is developing, can have a long-term impact on how someone responds to stressful situations.

But study leader Professor Michael Meaney said they believe these biochemical effects could also occur later in life.

"If you're a public health individual or a child psychologist you could say this shows you nothing you didn't already know.

"But until you show the biological process, many people in government and policy-makers are reluctant to believe it's real.

"Beyond that, you could ask whether a drug could reverse these effects and that's a possibility."

Dr Jonathan Mill, from the Institute of Psychiatry at Kings College London said the research added to growing evidence that environmental factors can alter the expression of genes - a process known as epigenetics.

"Whilst these results obviously need to be replicated, they provide a mechanism by which experiences early in life can have an effect on behaviour later in adulthood.

"The exciting thing about epigenetic alterations is that they are potentially reversible, and thus perhaps a future target for therapeutic intervention."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7901337.stm

Published: 2009/02/23 01:16:12 GMT

© BBC MMIX