April offers special attention to the needs of all crime victims during National Crime Victims'
Rights Week.
Women's Council executive director Deborah Clubb gave keynote comments during the
Memphis commemoration of NCVRW hosted by several state agencies on May 10. Amy
McCullough, Victims Witness Director, Shelby County District Attorney General's Office, received the Memphis Voice for Victims Award at the event hosted by the
Tennessee Board of Parole, Department of Correction, Rehabilitative Initiative in Correction
(TRICOR) and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
2018 Memphis Voice for Victims award honoree Amy McCullough is congratulated by Tina Fox,
Tennessee Board of Paroles:
LaRita Bearden, retired Victim Witness Coordinator for U.S.
Attorney's Office (West Tennessee); TBP Board Member Roberta Kustoff; Deborah Clubb,
MAWC; Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich and Channel 24 news anchor Richard
Ransom.
Deborah, who was the 2013 Voice for Victims honoree, talked about the importance of
survivors' voices and strong community support. She said in part:
"What do survivors of crime want?
"I believe they want to be heard. I believe they want to know that someone who understands
their situation is willing to listen and to care.
"I believe they want support through the confusion of police work and the exhaustion of courts and hearings and motions and trials and then parole and probation.
"I believe they want to feel safe and protected from those who hurt them or hurt their dear
ones.
"And they want to believe that our system of laws will bring them justice.
"Can we provide all of that to every survivor of crime?
"It is an enormous challenge and we must expect our systems of service and of justice, yes, to do that.
"The leaders of our criminal justice system, including the leading non-profit community
agencies who step up to take on many of these tasks, must constantly collaborate to increase
their capacity and to identify and fill gaps in support. They must be held accountable for their work - and they must be offered the personnel and technology to do everything that should be done.
"After all, the idea of victims or survivors' rights is new when you think of the 242 years our
nation has existed. State legislatures and Congress passed the first victims' rights legislation in the mid-1980s -- - only 34 or so years ago.
"The Violence Against Women Act became law in 1994 and has fostered enormous change in
services, shelter, advocacy and safety for women endangered by intimate partner violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking.
"And only in 2004 - just 14 years ago - the landmark Crime Victims' Rights Act listed eight
specific rights for those hurt and their families. Efforts to spread understanding of the rights of
victims of crime are still very needed and we appreciate the faithful efforts of groups and
professionals such as the TN Board of Parole and their companion agencies whose annual
tree-planting
ceremonies raised that awareness...
"We must continue to be creative, to be diligent and committed to bringing to crime survivors all the
support and services they need to rebuild and continue past the trauma of loss, of pain and
grief.
"We must continue to work together, too, to change behavior, to spread the messages of
Memphis Says NO MORE, to stop violence:
"No More 'well, she was drunk.'
"No More 'but he's from such a good family.'
"No More 'I'll say something next time.'
"No More 'It's not my problem.'"
Memphis Says NO MORE joins
rally at LeMoyne-Owen
Partners at the Shelby County Rape Crisis Center organized a special sexual assault awareness event at LeMoyne-Owen College featuring a panel on campus sexual assault, an empowerment march, info fair, lunch and speakers.
The Stand with Survivors event was held in honor of survivors of sexual violence and in
support of the #MeToo movement, including #MeTooShelbyCounty, #UsTooShelbyCounty,
#MeTooLOC and #UsTooLOC.