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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, In 1982, the President's Task Force on Victims of
3Crime envisioned a national commitment to a more equitable and
4supportive response to victims; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The first Crime Victims Week, later renamed
6National Crime Victims' Rights Week, was started to celebrate
7the victims' rights movement; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Crime and violence can leave harm on any person
9and community, regardless of age, national origin, race,
10creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, immigration, or
11economic status; and
 
12    WHEREAS, A new movement of diverse survivors of crime from
13communities most harmed and least helped has joined together
14in Illinois and throughout the country to create healing
15communities and shape public policy; and
 
16    WHEREAS, For too long the voices and experiences of these
17diverse survivors have been ignored, leading to policies and
18increased justice system spending that fails to meet the needs
19of crime victims or stop the cycle of crime; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Most victims do not get the kind of help needed to

 

 

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1heal; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Only 8% of all victims of violence receive direct
3assistance from a victim service agency, and this drops to 4%
4when the crime is unreported, which is the case for more than
5half of all violent crimes; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Crime survivors know best about the existing gaps
7to recovery and how to bridge them and understand what their
8communities need to be healthy and safe; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Crime survivors want a safety and justice system
10that works and prioritizes prevention, rehabilitation, and
11trauma recovery; and
 
12    WHEREAS, With the unwavering support of their communities,
13survivors are empowered to face their grief, loss, fear,
14anger, and hope, turning their healing into action; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Providing services that help victims and their
16communities recover stops the cycle of harm and supports
17thriving communities; and
 
18    WHEREAS, It is essential for crime survivors to have input
19and influence in discussions of public safety and criminal
20justice policy; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, National Crime Victims' Rights Week, marked this
2year from April 23 to April 29, 2023, provides an opportunity
3to recommit to ensuring that all victims of crime, especially
4those who are from communities most impacted by crime, are
5policy stakeholders and are provided with what they need to
6recover; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, a
8flagship project of Alliance for Safety and Justice, is
9dedicated to supporting the healing of survivors and the
10leadership they can provide to build safer and healthier
11communities; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Survivors Speak, a yearly gathering during
13National Crime Victims' Rights Week, elevates the voices of
14diverse crime survivors to ensure their experiences shape
15public safety and justice policies; therefore, be it
 
16    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
17HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
18we commend the work being done by Crime Survivors for Safety
19and Justice to prevent people from becoming victims and to
20assist all survivors in the recovery from crime and trauma;
21and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2presented to Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice.