1997 CRIME VICTIM
SERVICE AWARDS
1. ELLEN HALBERT
Vice Chair, Texas Board of Criminal Justice
Ellen Halbert was raped, beaten, repeatedly stabbed and left for dead by a drifter
dressed in a black Ninja outfit who broke into her home. She left her job as a real
estate broker and dedicated her life to victim services. Today, Ms. Halbert has
just finished a six-year term as the Vice Chair of the Texas Board of Criminal
Justice, which oversees the massive criminal justice system for the State of
Texas. Appointed to this position by Governor Ann Richards as the first
victim to serve on this important board, Ms. Halbert had oversight
responsibility for the world's largest prison system, parole, probation,
state jails and victim services, and has become one of the state's
foremost leaders in restorative justice. Ms. Halbert's leadership and
determination has led to marked changes in the criminal justice system
in Texas including victim sensitivity training for thousands of parole
and probation officers, a 30 member volunteer Victim Services Advisory
Council, and victim impact panels used inside the prison units prior to
parole or release. She is the first victim to have a prison unit named
after her—The Ellen Halbert Drug and Alcohol Treatment Facility for Women.
Her nominator wrote that Ellen Halbert is, "a true 'standard bearer' whose
person and accomplishments establish the scope and promise by which the victims
movement and all related programs are judged."
2. DNA-PEOPLE'S LEGAL SERVICES, INC.
Peggy Bird, Director
Native American Family Violence Prevention Project
For thirty years DNA has provided free legal and other services to victims of
crime on the Navajo and Hopi nations. From its nine offices located throughout
Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, DNA serves victims in some of the most remote and
impoverished places in America. At a time when many legal service programs do
not serve crime victims at all, domestic violence cases have constituted nearly
20 percent of DNA's total caseload for the past three years. DNA has been
instrumental in the development safe homes, support groups, shelters and crisis
counseling for victims on the Navajo Nation, as well as in drafting police
arrest protocols for the Navajo Nation police force, and in the drafting and
passage of culturally appropriate domestic violence laws for both the Navajo
Nation and the Hopi tribe. DNA has also worked to increase public awareness of
the new domestic violence laws, and to train Navajo nation police, courts,
peacemakers, hospitals, and social service offices about their obligations
under the laws.
DNA's Native American Family Violence Prevention Project conducts basic community
education about family violence prevention across the entire Navajo Nation in
Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. Peggy Bird, the director of the Project, is a
Native American attorney from the Santo Domingo Pueblo who has herself been a
victim of domestic violence. In 1993, Ms. Bird started weekly women's support
groups. She is the co-President of the Shiprock Domestic Violence Task Force,
and a member of the Attorney General's Task Force on Domestic Violence and
the New Mexico Stop Violence Against Women oversight committee. DNA's nominator
wrote that the dedication of this group of professionals to help victims of crime
has been truly "extraordinary."
3. VICTIMS FOR JUSTICE
Janice Lienhart, Executive Director
Janice Lienhart and Sharon Nahorney formed Victims for Justice in 1985 after
their parents and aunt were brutally murdered and they discovered that there
was no organization or support network in Alaska that could help them deal
with their grief. Victims for Justice is now the only organization in the state
to provide victim services such as crisis intervention, short- and long-term
individual and peer group counseling,
advocacy and support in dealing with the criminal justice system, and community
education. The organization's two founders have forged alliances with other
victims to bring about significant changes to both public attitudes and
public policies concerning how family members of homicide victims are treated.
Their dedication and leadership culminated in the passage of a State
constitutional amendment on victims rights, and the passage of a juvenile
waiver law that ensures that teenagers who commit violent felonies are held
accountable for their conduct. The Attorney General of Alaska, who nominated
Victims for Justice wrote, "Janice Lienhart, Sharon Nahorney and others have
poured their hearts and souls into ensuring that victims throughout Alaska
have a place turn for help."
4. KAREN MUELHAUPT
Violent Crime Counselor
Karen Muelhaupt has been a compassionate and pioneering advocate for crime
victims for more than a decade. As a young woman, she was attacked and raped
as she was walking home from her apartment. Since that time she has dedicated
herself to improving services to crime victims through her work as a pre-sentence
investigator for Iowa's Fifth Judicial District, as a rape counselor, and
currently as a violent crime counselor. Not only does she provide advocacy
and counseling for victims of violent crime, but she works tirelessly to
expand rights and services for crime victims in Iowa. She helped develop a
death notification training manual for coroners, law enforcement, prosecutors
and victim service providers; she led the development of the Polk County
Homicide Crisis Response Team; she set up teams to clean up murder scenes
and debrief workplaces, neighborhoods and groups affected by homicide; and
she provides training to rape crisis and domestic abuse workers to extend
their services to rural areas. On her own time, Ms. Muelhaupt organized the
funding, design, and construction of a doll house-size courthouse to prepare
children for court. Despite a recent diagnosis of cancer, Ms. Muelhaupt's
efforts on behalf of crime victims have remained unflagging. She continues to
work, often retiring to bed at 5 pm in order to maintain her energy. Her
nominator wrote, "Karen embodies the spirit, conviction and energy of the
crime victims movement."
5. EVELYN DILLON
Volunteer Victim Advocate
Genesee County Victim Assistance Program
Evelyn Dillon has contributed more than 12,500 hours of unpaid work since 1985 in
her missionary work on behalf of crime victims. Her nominator wrote, "She is a
'pure volunteer victim advocate' who will do whatever and go wherever is necessary
to help attend to and restore a victim who has been broken by crime." In 1983,
Mrs. Dillon's husband became the first IRS officer to be murdered in the line of
duty in Buffalo, NY. Since that time, Mrs. Dillon has provided extensive outreach
services to victims in the upstate New York region. In 1987 Mrs. Dillon founded the
Genesee County Victim Support Coalition, and she currently services as the victim
advocacy liaison for the Genesee County Victim Assistance Program with the Genesee
County MADD chapter and the Genesee County Chapter of Compassionate Friends. She
is the standing victim member on the Genesee County Criminal Justice Advisory
Council, and she is a steadfast correspondent with state legislators regarding
the
status of victim legislation in the areas of compensation, parole notification,
victim impact statements, and statements at the time of sentencing and fair
treatment of victims in the courtroom. As she approaches the age of 75, her
nominator calls her, "a vision of hope to every victim."
6. COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS, INC.
Gang Victim Services Program
Irvine, California
Margot Carleson, Executive Director
The Gang Victim Services program of Community Service Programs was created in 1990
to provide crisis intervention and assistance to victims of gang related violence
and their families. Last year the seven bicultural and bilingual gang victims
specialists and the one witness specialist on staff provided help to more than
970 victims of gang violence. Wearing bulletproof vests and Crisis Response
jackets, program counselors accompany investigating officers to give death
notifications, assess victims' safety and emergency needs, and provide continuing
counseling services, referrals, and support groups. Fear of retaliation,
intimidation and revenge often prevent gang violence victims from seeking help or
exercising their rights. Working closely with the District Attorney's Gang Unit,
Gang Victim Services staff provide support to victims and witnesses throughout
the investigation and prosecution of each case. Ms. Christine Lopez, the program
supervisor, is recognized statewide and nationally for her expertise in gang
related victim/witness issues and for her knowledge of the Hispanic community.
In 1993, Ms. Lopez was awarded the first annual Doris Tate Award by Governor
Pete Wilson in recognition of her outstanding commitment and service to victims
of crime. Gang Victim Services was recently recognized as a model program by the
Office for Victims of Crime and is currently developing a protocol for similar
programs across the Nation.
7. JAY HOWELL
Attorney-at-Law
Jacksonville, Florida
Jay Howell began his involvement in the victims field as a victim-sensitive
prosecutor in Jacksonville, Florida. As the Chief Counsel for the U.S. Senate
Subcommittee on Investigations and General Oversight, he was instrumental to
the passage of landmark legislation affecting missing and exploited children
who, at that time, comprised a truly underserved victim population. Mr. Howell
later founded and was the first Executive Director for the National Center for
Missing and Exploited Children. In 1986 he was a founding member of the National
Victims' Constitutional Amendment Network (NVCAN), which has provided sound
legal counsel in developing amendment language and strategies for states, 29
of which have successfully secured passage of victims constitutional amendments.
He remains a key activist in NVCAN's current efforts to secure a federal
constitutional amendment. As a civil attorney for the past 10 years, Mr. Howell
has helped define the relatively new discipline of
victim-related civil litigation. His nominator wrote, "Jay is truly an 'unsung
hero'—he is not doing the right thing for any recognition, but simply because it
is right, and it is needed by traumatized victims, as well as by our communities
that strive to promote greater safety for all of us."
8. LORETTA LEWIS-GOLDEN
Director, Rape/Crime Victim Advocate Program
Gainesville, Florida
For the past 14 years, Loretta Lewis-Golden worked tirelessly to shape the
development and growth of the Rape/Crime Victim Advocate Program in the
university town of Gainesville, Florida. Starting as an Advocate Counselor
in 1982 and Director of the program since 1993, Ms. Lewis-Golden is the epitome
of a direct service provider and advocate for victims rights who has gone
"above and beyond" the call of duty in her dedication and commitment to crime
victims. She was described by her nominators at "a quiet,
persistent, and inspirational leader," who is able to break down barriers and
instill trust and communications between victims, victim service providers,
correctional institutions, law
enforcement agencies, and the medical profession. An exceptional trainer and
eloquent speaker, Ms. Lewis-Golden has presented at local and statewide
conferences and is active in victim groups nationwide.
As an advocate and community activist, Ms. Lewis-Golden led grassroots efforts
to get a State constitutional amendment passed on victims' rights. Her successful
annual Rape Awareness Luncheon brings much needed attention to the concerns
of rape victims. Through her hours of volunteer consultation and training,
she has changed the attitudes and practices of law enforcement, the State's
Attorney's Office, and the judiciary towards crime victims. The Gainesville
Commission on the Status of Women awarded her the Martha Varnes Award for
Achievement in Sexual Battery Prevention. She also received the University of
Florida Woman of Achievement Award in 1995 for the impact she has had on
University of Florida students. She is a member and co-developer of the
National Black Women's Health Project, a local self-help group.
9. ASTRID HEGER, M.D., FAAP
Executive Director, LAO/USC Violence Intervention Program
Los Angeles, California
A brilliant physician, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, and victim
advocate, Dr. Heger founded the Center for the Vulnerable Child in 1984.
Together with her newly established Violence Intervention Program at L.A.
county—USC Medical Center, the combined program is the first Family
Advocacy Center in the Nation. The concept she developed has now generated
over 300 Child Advocacy Centers across the United States. Dr. Heger
is recognized nationwide for pioneering the use of photo-documentation
techniques for the medical evaluation of child and adolescent victims of
sexual assault. In addition to her work with children, Dr. Heger expanded
the use of multidisciplinary services—medical treatment interfacing with
legal, social and mental health services—for child and adult victims of
family and community violence. Recently, she developed and implemented the
first telemedicine project to guarantee that remote areas will have access
to expert evaluations to protect the rights of victims.
Dr. Heger has devoted her entire professional career to guaranteeing that
victims of violence receive sensitive, loving attention as well as the highest
quality of medical care and forensic documentation. Responding to the need
for medical professionals to be more sensitive to victims of spousal abuse,
she is building the first hospital-based emergency shelter for women
and children. The LAPD commended her for devoting so much of her time
to educating law enforcement officers on the dynamics of child sexual
abuse, thus ensuring that child abuse investigations will be conducted in
a professional and sensitive manner.
10. PASTOR RODERICK MITCHELL
Executive Director, Exodus Center for Life
Cleveland, MS
Pastor Mitchell opened his New Life Church in Cleveland, Mississippi, to a
Salvation Army rape crisis program in need of a home. He is the rare minister
in a rural community in the South to speak out against spousal violence,
spousal rape, sexual assault, and child abuse. Pastor Mitchell speaks
from his own personal experience as a victim of domestic violence. When
only nine years old, he had a gun put to his head while trying to
protect his mother. Many a cold winter morning he had to flee the house
with his mother and smaller siblings to hide in the cotton fields, away
from the reach of his abusive father.
Pastor Mitchell is best known for talking to students in junior and senior
high schools and Headstart programs about child abuse. He uses puppets to
show young people that their bodies should not be touched by anyone. He
has developed a special program called "Preparing Our Sons to Manhood:
Salvaging the Seeds" to reach youth on prevention techniques instead of
crimes against the family. He also serves as a counselor in the MASH Program—Men
Against Spousal Harm—a batterers program with an exceptionally high
success rate.
11. SUE HATHORN
For the past 20 years Sue Hathorn has waged a one woman campaign against
child abuse in Mississippi. Touched by the memory of an abused child she saw
returned to a home where he had been beaten, she vowed to change the system,
to develop services, shelters, and legal protection for abused children.
In 1984 she organized the Mississippi Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse.
Her well-known statewide conferences on child abuse educate over 500 child
advocates each year. She realized her dream of funding a Children's Advocacy
Center for the State of Mississippi by forging a unique partnership with
the private sector in which charitable bingo fund raising was used to defray
expenses. Her struggle to create the remarkable center is recounted in James
Colbert's book God Bless the Child: A True Story of Child Abuse, Gambling,
Southern Politics...And One Woman's Struggle Against the Odds. Colbert's
book tells of a 7-year-old who was afraid to testify in court against the
perpetrator who sexually molested her. The terrified child asked that Sue's
German shepherd, Vachss, an obedience trained dog, be allowed to accompany
her to Court. With Vachss at her feet, the first dog ever admitted to a
Mississippi courtroom for that purpose, the little girl testified in a
loud and clear voice.
Ms. Hathorn was also the moving force behind the establishment of several
important multidisciplinary, public/private partnerships of law enforcement,
social services, medical, and judicial personnel for the investigation
of child abuse cases in Mississippi. She organized Mississippi's Court
Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), a network of specially trained
volunteers who advocate for child victims in 17 Mississippi counties.
Children First! Inc. was established by Ms. Hathorn to help teens in
foster care pursue educational and vocational training goals. A foster
mother of 11 children, Ms. Hathorn knows firsthand the lack of services
for foster children in Mississippi. She has obtained pro bono legal
representation for hundreds of foster children, as well as finding medical,
psychological, and financial assistance for foster children and child
abuse victims.
12. KAREN A. MCLAUGHLIN
Senior Policy Analyst
Education Development Center, Inc.
Newton, Massachusetts
As both a paid professional and a volunteer, Karen McLaughlin has worked for
over 20 years—since her college days at Marquette University—at the cutting edge
of victim services. She is a true "unsung hero" of the victims movement,
having initiated a remarkable series of firsts in victims services. She
was a key activist in Massachusetts' efforts to become one of the FIRST
six states to establish a statewide network of victim services, and then
became the FIRST Executive Director of the Massachusetts Office for Victim
Assistance, itself the FIRST independent state agency for victim assistance
funded by state criminal fines. As Executive Director she awarded the
FIRST VOCA funding to assist victims of anti-gay violence, as well as
the FIRST parole-based victim assistance program. She sponsored one of
the FIRST statewide trainings on community crisis response and organized
the FIRST statewide conference on victimization of racial minorities.
As the same time, she put in endless hours of volunteer time, much of
it traveling to promote international networking on behalf of victims.
Clearly, her influence on victims services both in the United States and
abroad has been profound. Today her creative energy is directed towards
violence prevention—an integral part of comprehensive victim assistance.
Working with the National Organization of Victim Assistance, she has helped
guide the field to a better understanding of the need for violence
prevention strategies, particularly for child victims of violence. Her
nominator described her as "a pioneering program director, an imaginative
and courageous state administrator, a creative force for growth ..., and one
of the most giving of victim advocates our movement has produced."
13. VIKI C. SHARP
Director, Pima County Attorney's Victim Witness Program
Tucson, AZ
Ms. Sharpe's career in victim services began in the volunteer corps of the
Pima County Attorney's Victim Witness program in 1976. She became the first
staff volunteer coordinator in 1984 and since 1985 has served as Director
of the program. Under her leadership the program has become a national
model. Ms. Sharpe is best known for her extraordinary training and speaking
skills. She has trained advocates, law enforcement and prosecutors
throughout the United States and in New Zealand, "literally effecting
the quality of services provided to thousands of victims," according to
her nominator. Astonishingly, all of these trainings were provided on
her vacation time and the majority without compensation. In the last
year alone, she taught crisis intervention skills and victimology in
Indiana, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Texas, North Carolina, Hawaii, and
Utah. She is described as a "masterful woman who is guided by her own
sense of purpose and her single-minded dedication to making a
difference."
Special Courage Award:
AZIM KHAMISA & PLES FELIX
The Tariq Khamisa Foundation
San Diego, California
Azim Khamisa and Ples Felix had never met—had never even heard of each
other—before January 21, 1995. On that Saturday, Axim Khamisa's only son,
Tariq, 20, an art student at San Diego State University, was shot to death
as he was delivering pizza. The trigger was pulled by Ples Felix's
14-year-old grandson, Tony Hicks, on the orders of an older gang member.
Tony was caught, charged, and pleaded guilty to the killing. Sentenced
under a new California law that allows children as young as 14 to be tried
as adults, Tony will be 37 years old before he is eligible for parole. "All
the dreams and hopes I had for Tony just came crumbling down," says Ples,
Tony's grandfather and guardian.
Nearly overwhelmed with grief, but believing "that there were victims
at both ends of the gun," Azim got in touch with Ples and invited him
to be a part of forming the Tariq Khamisa Foundation to combat the
phenomena in our society of "children killing children." Through the
Tariq Khamisa Foundation, Azim and Ples have taken their message of
nonviolence and concern for children to the San Diego school system. They
have presented the first in a series of Violence Impact Forums which are
designed to inform kids, parents, and school officials about the
devastating consequences of violence, how to deal with peer pressure to
join gangs, and provide information about school and community victim
services.
It took courage for Ples to go to Azim's home that November day in 1995.
It also took forgiveness, compassion and great valor for Azim to make the
call. Today, these two men have formed a strong alliance to save other
families from a similar tragedy. They have been featured on national
television shows, in People Magazine, and in many other publications
due to their unique educational efforts.
1998 Crime Victim Service Awards
Honored by the Attorney General were:
DENISE M. MOON
Director, Dade County Victim Assistance
Unit, State Attorney's Office
1350 NW. 12th Avenue
Miami, Florida 33136
Denise Moon's career in victim services spans 24 years, from her hiring as
the first social worker at the Jackson Memorial Hospital Rape Treatment
Center/Crisis Intervention Clinic in Miami in 1974 to her current duties
as director of the Victim Assistance Unit of the Dade County State
Attorney's Office. She helped organize the Children's Center, a special
unit dedicated to
the forensic interviewing of child victims and
witnesses. In 1987, she helped initiate the first prosecutor-based
domestic violence unit in Florida, and in 1992, she helped design and
implement a pioneering misdemeanor domestic violence court. She also helped
establish Tourist Lock-Up Criminals, a joint venture among hotels,
tourist agencies and the State Attorney's Office that encourages out-of-town
victims to return for court proceedings. She authored a funding proposal
that now supports the Victim Access Network, a comprehensive automated
victim notification and information system. She has served on the Board of
Directors of the Florida Network of Victim Witness Services since 1986 and
was elected its president in 1991. A true stalwart of the victims movement,
Denise Moon has been described as "the ultimate professional."
GENE AND PEGGY SCHMIDT
P.O. Box 7829
Overland Park, Kansas 66207
Gene and Peggy Schmidt have dedicated their impressive efforts on behalf of
crime victims to their daughter Stephanie, a college student who was raped
and murdered by a co-worker recently released after serving 10 years for rape.
The day after Stephanie's funeral in 1993, the Schmidts formed a task force
that proposed state legislation including: requiring first-time sex
offenders to register with local sheriffs upon parole; making registry
information accessible to the public; increasing sentences for sex
offenders; expanding sanctions against job applicants who lie about
criminal history and mandating that the state notify employers of the
hiring of parolees. These measures have all been accomplished through
changes in Kansas law and policy. The task force also advocated passage
of the Sexually Violent Predator Law, known as "Stephanie's Law," which
provides for the civil commitment of sexual offenders who suffer from
mental abnormalities or personality disorders and are likely to
reoffend. Used for the first time in 1994, "Stephanie's Law" was upheld
by the Supreme Court on June 23, 1997. The Schmidts have testified or
been invited to testify on similar legislation before eight state
legislatures, and, along with their daughter, Jeni, testified before
Congress on the 1994 Crime Bill. Through a number of nationwide public
appearances, including "60 Minutes," and through their nonprofit
organization, Speak Out for Stephanie, which sponsors educational and
mentoring programs for elementary, secondary and college students, the
Schmidts have spread their message that, by breaking the cycle of
violence among potential offenders, future sex offenses can be prevented.
KAREN WENGERT
Founder, Friends of Amanda Foundation
28 Cherry Hill Lane
Manalapan, New Jersey 07726
Karen Wengert derives the force of her conviction from the memory of her
6 1/2-year-old daughter Amanda, who was molested and murdered in 1994 by
a next-door neighbor whose record of sex offenses was shielded by state
and local laws. Vowing to prevent the same tragedy from befalling other
children, she founded the Friends of Amanda Foundation, from which she
has been a staunch advocate for legislative reform to protect victims.
Among the New Jersey laws she has strongly influenced are the Amanda Act,
a measure that allows police and authorized officials to examine juvenile
records for incidents of violent crime, and the Peeping Tom Law, which
allows voyeurs to be psychologically examined. Ms. Wengert encouraged
the passage and enactment of the No Early Release Act requiring the most
violent criminals to serve a minimum of 85 percent of their sentences.
Her contributions extend to direct service. When she saw the benefits of
art therapy to her two surviving children, she sought to establish a
free art therapy
program for battered children. In 1997, she and Monmouth County
Senator John 0. Bennett proposed Amanda's Easel, which is now operated
by the Women's Center of Monmouth County and serves battered women and
children. Ms. Wengert serves as a volunteer art therapy assistant in
the program. She also completed training to become a Child Assault
Prevention Facilitator and works on behalf of children throughout Monmouth
County. She was appointed last year by Governor Whitman to the New
Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect.
LOS ANGELES COMMISSION ON ASSAULTS AGAINST WOMEN, DEAF AND DISABLED
SERVICES PROGRAM
Peggie Reyna, Program Coordinator
6043 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90028
The Deaf and Disabled Services Program of the Los Angeles Commission on
Assaults Against Women is one of the only organizations in the nation
that provides services to deaf and disabled victims of crime. Created
in 1989 to aid victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and child
abuse, it seeks to empower members of the deaf and disabled community.
To that end, it relies on deaf and disabled individuals, rather than
interpreters, to provide services, and emphasizes intervention,
prevention and education. The program offers an array of activities
not only to aid individual victims, but also to interrupt the cycle of
violence. Classes are tailored to meet the needs of those with physical,
visual and developmental disabilities. An off-shoot of the program,
Deaf Kids Self Defense and Safety, teaches children how to protect
themselves from abuse. The Deaf and Disabled Services Program also
trains staff and volunteers at domestic violence shelters to equip them
to work with deaf and disabled battered women. The
program was also instrumental in the creation of a TDD line for the National
Domestic Violence Hotline. The program's impact is exemplified in the
story of a young deaf and mute woman who was repeatedly raped and beaten
by her father and brother. Because she lacked any language abilities and
was unable to communicate, many shelters turned her away. Program staff
persevered, found a safe haven for the victim and taught her sign
language. The young woman now has close contact with family and friends
and lives without the threat of violence.
PROGRAM AGAINST SEXUAL VIOLENCE
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
Jamie C. Tiedemann, Director
Office of the Vice President for Student Development and Athletics
University of Minnesota
407 Boynton Health Service, 410 Church Street S.E.
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
The University of Minnesota Program Against Sexual Violence, established
in 1991, immediately became an innovator in sexual assault and family
violence advocacy programs through its association with a major university.
Staffed with 5 full- and part-time employees and up to 50 volunteers,
the program provides 24-hour on-call services and serves over 200
victims and survivors a year. Approximately 20,000 students, staff,
faculty and alumni benefit from its educational outreach each year.
The program offers a variety of unique activities such as: small group
training for men and women athletes and coaches, which has reached
over 600 participants; an interactive dramatic presentation on sexual
assault and an interactive presentation that addresses same sex
violence. The program administers two 52-hour training programs a year
for sexual assault advocates and a 35-hour summer training for
volunteers and staff of rural community-based sexual assault, domestic
violence and victim/witness programs. Its advocacy training course
has been integrated into the university's Women Studies
curriculum. The program has worked with campus police to provide
student victims transportation to court proceedings and has arranged
special accommodations for victims with the registrar and student
employment offices. The program has pioneered initiatives such as the
Minnesota Higher Education Center Against Violence and Abuse and a
partnership with the School of Dentistry to develop a family violence
training model for dental
professionals.
SHARON MARIE SIKORA
Chair, Arizona MADD
5691 W. Abraham Lane
Glendale, Arizona 85308
In 1981, the car Sharon Sikora was driving was hit by a drunken motorist and
became engulfed in flames, causing burns over 95 percent of her body and
paralysis of her vocal cords due to smoke inhalation. The Phoenix Fire
Department Commander who responded to the crash described it this way: "The
horror of what happened to Sharon was almost beyond description. I didn't
feel she had any chance of survival." Since the accident, she has endured
more than 70 reconstructive surgeries and has become a leading advocate
for crime victims' rights. She co-founded Mothers Against Drunk Driving
(MADD), established the Arizona state chapter, and has made special effort
to reach out to victims in rural counties and Indian country. She initiated
the Ashes to Life Burn Support Group for survivors of significant burn
injuries and co-founded the Fire Pal board of the Phoenix Fire Department,
which oversees efforts to improve fire safety programs. She has advocated
for .08 blood alcohol content legislation and Juvenile Zero Tolerance
DUI laws. She helped launch a statewide DUI task force involving
65 police agencies that resulted in over 2,600 DUI arrests this past
holiday season. She was instrumental in the passage of the Arizona
Victim Bill of Rights. As a member of the Kentucky, School Bus Crash,
MADD Crisis Team, Ms. Sikora made three trips to Radcliff, Kentucky,
to assist victims and survivors of a drunk driving crash that left 24
youths and three adults dead and 14 others seriously injured. She
currently sits on the board of the Arizona Victim Compensation Program,
the Foundation for Burns and Trauma, the Phoenix Fire Department Fire Pals,
Arizona Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and National Students Against Drunk
Driving. Through her years of dedicated service, she has cultivated a
second-generation victims advocate in her 26-year-old daughter, who is
also a drunk driving victim. Of her many accomplishments, Ms. Sikora
says she is proudest of being her daughter's mentor.
JOAN COLEMAN
Executive Director
Toledo/Lucas County Victim/Witness Assistance Program
700 Adams Street, Suite 250
Toledo, Ohio 43604
Joan Coleman is responsible for one of the most comprehensive victim assistance
programs in the country. Since becoming Executive Director of the Toledo/Lucas
County Victim/Witness Assistance Program seven years ago, she has presided
over the development of a multi-faceted organization that offers a full
range of services to victims of all persuasions. Among the components of
the program are: a general victim services office; a Special Services
Division in the Juvenile Prosecutor's Section of Family Court; a child
watch area for female victims of violent crime in Toledo Municipal Court;
a 24-hour crisis response team and a multi-disciplinary advisory council.
The program's Victims' Forum uses panels of victims and juvenile offenders
to heighten the awareness of junior high and high school students about
the repercussions of violent crimes and guns. The program also operates
the only Hispanic/Latino Outreach Office in Ohio. Staffed with 17
employees and 30 volunteers, the program has aided over 40,000 victims
and assisted them in receiving more than $3.5 million in
compensation. In addition to her program responsibilities, Ms. Coleman's
efforts led to the development of a uniform system for victim notification
that preceded by two years the state law requiring this practice on the
felony level. Prior to the statutory mandate of victim impact statements,
she convinced trial judges to allow victims to speak at sentencing
hearings. As a member of the National Organization for Victim Assistance
national crisis response team, she provided crisis intervention to 28
crew members of the Canadian Enterprise Freighter after a tragedy ended the
life of a fellow crew member. Ms. Coleman takes personal responsibility
for the victims she serves, often helping to pay victims' rent and electric
and telephone bills, taking food to those in need and personally relocating
frightened victims and witnesses. Often putting in over 70 hours a week,
Joan Coleman is a consummate professional who gives completely of herself
to crime victims.
LIDERAS CAMPESINAS FARMWORKER WOMEN'S SEXUAL ASSAULT
AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROJECT
Mily Trevino Saucedo, Executive Director
611 South Rebecca Street
Pomona, California 91766
The Lideras Campesinas Farmworker Women's Sexual Assault and Domestic
Violence Project reaches out to the underserved population of crime
victims—abused migrant women farm workers. Concentrating on domestic
violence victims among migrant communities in California's southern and
central valley, the program addresses the social, economic, political
and language barriers that render this group difficult to reach. Lideras
Campesinas began in 1990 as a result of issues uncovered during a
graduate research project on domestic violence in farm worker communities.
It implemented a Domestic Violence Prevention Program in 1993 and began
conducting statewide training to local farm worker advocates. In 1996,
the organization expanded its educational model to include a sexual
assault component. A true grass roots organization, the project relies
on an advisory committee comprised of representatives from 15 communities
to keep the project focused on the needs of women farm workers and their
families. Under the committee's guidance, the project selects
interested women farm workers and provides them intensive training in
awareness, dynamics and prevention of sexual assault and domestic
violence, as well as the resources available to victims. These
advocates return to their communities and educate other farm worker
women through conferences and social gatherings. Lideras Campesinas
has reached over 10,000 women farm workers. Its impact has reached
across the globe as project staff have discussed an advocacy exchange
program with the "Delta" project in Cape Town, South Africa. An
organization whose trademark is its respect for the integrity of
community, Lideras Campesinas gives a voice to women who often lack
the resources to speak on their own behalf.
MERLE SEEKING LAND & TRINITY A.
GRAVATT
P.O. Box 127 & P.O. Box 323
Fort Thompson, South Dakota 57339
Special Heroism Award—On the evening of November 2, 1996, Merle
Seeking Land and Trinity Gravatt were on their way home from a friend's
house in Fort Thompson, South Dakota, on the Crow Creek Sioux Indian
Reservation, when they heard a woman crying and shouting that she was
being raped. They found the woman pinned to the ground, her clothes
ripped away, being sexually assaulted, and they pulled the attacker
away. The man, who had been drinking, attempted to leave the scene,
but Mr. Seeking Land and Mr. Gravatt restrained him. The attacker
became belligerent, pushing both of them, and as he tried to flee,
Mr. Gravatt knocked him out. They then ran to call the police and
returned to comfort the woman while they waited for authorities.
The attacker was arrested and later charged with two counts of
aggravated sexual abuse. Despite the influence of the defendant's family
in the community and pressure to withdraw their cooperation with the
investigation, both Mr. Seeking Land and Mr. Gravatt testified
at the grand jury hearing, which was held approximately 175 miles
from their home, and then at the trial, which was held in Aberdeen,
about 150 miles from Fort Thompson. Their testimony helped to convict
the defendant on both counts and to secure a sentence of 121 months
in prison and 4 years of supervised release.
SPECIAL AWARDS RELATED TO THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING
The largest-scale act of terrorism ever committed on North American soil,
the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in
Oklahoma City left 168 men, women and children dead and hundreds of
others injured. The heroic rescue efforts and crisis response to the
victims and survivors in its immediate aftermath earned the Nation's
collective admiration and praise. The scope of the tragedy brought to
the trials that followed a set of dynamics unprecedented in the history
of the U.S. criminal justice system. The complexities of the cases
against Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, the great public scrutiny of
the Denver trials and the sheer number of victims and survivors made the
work of those involved seem a daunting undertaking. The dedication,
compassion and perseverance demonstrated by the members of these eight
groups may be characterized as nothing short of
extraordinary.
PROJECT HEARTLAND
Gwen Allen, Director
Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
1200 NE. 13th Street
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73152
Project Heartland began as the immediate mental health response to the
bombing and continued as a crisis intervention mechanism throughout
the trials and has now reached over 4,000 individuals. Opening with a
staff of 5 individuals and eventually employing 73, it has provided
counseling, support groups, outreach, consultation and education. When
the trials began, project staff continued to offer their services through
the debriefing of prosecution witnesses, support to victim family members
and survivors attending the trial or closed-circuit broadcasts and preparing
those individuals for some of the more difficult testimony.
CRITICAL INCIDENT WORKSHOPS GROUP
Colonel Jack Poe, Chief of Chaplains
Oklahoma City Police Department
701 Concord Drive
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73102
The Critical Incident Workshops Group is comprised of police and fire
chaplains who arrived at the Alfred P. Murrah Building immediately after
the bombing. These chaplains mobilized more than 700 clergy from around
the country to help the survivors, families and rescuers on site and
at a Family Response Center. In the days and months following the bombing,
the group began conducting critical incident workshops to help rescuers
cope with their experiences. These workshops became integral to the
healing of those affected by the tragedy.
COLORADO/OKLAHOMA RESOURCE
COUNCIL
Steve Siegel, Director of Program Development
District Attorney's Office
303 W. Colfax Avenue, No. 1300
Denver, Colorado 80204
Created to aid survivors and families of victims while in Denver, the
Colorado/Oklahoma Resource Council (CORC) exemplified the positive force
of collaboration. The CORC secured lodging near the federal courthouse,
arranged local transportation and ensured availability of medical and
mental health services. It provided a safe haven near the courthouse,
offering victims a secure, protected and supportive environment. In
addition, the CORC's "Line Holders" relieved victims from standing in
line to secure limited courtroom seating.
OKLAHOMA CITY SAFE HAVEN
The Reverend Tracy Evans
1001 N.W. 25th, #206
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73106
For the victims and survivors unable to travel to Denver for the trials,
the Oklahoma City Safe Haven Committee ensured the accessibility of trial
proceedings. Safe Haven provided closed-circuit broadcast of the trials
in a supportive atmosphere where shuttle
services, counseling, refreshments and an information center for trial
transcripts and witness summaries were available. The centers opened with
jury selection in the McVeigh trial on March 31, 1997, and remained in
service for the duration of both trials. More than 300 volunteers helped
serve nearly 1,000 victims and survivors.
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR THE WESTERN
DISTRICT OF OKLAHOMA VICTIM ASSISTANCE UNIT
Lynn Anderson, Assistant United States Attorney
Office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma
210 W. Park Avenue, Suite 400
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73102
The Victim/Witness Assistance Unit of the United States Attorney's Office
for the Western District of Oklahoma devoted its efforts to ensuring that
victims, relatives and survivors would have access to the trials, whether
in person or through the closed-circuit broadcasts. Among its activities
were the securing of a large facility in Oklahoma City for viewing the
closed-circuit broadcasts; organization of victim attendance at the trials,
including arrangements for travel; training of volunteers to staff the
Oklahoma City safe haven; assistance in ensuring the safety of those
attending the trial; obtaining of medical care; coordination of shuttle
and food services; and provision of emotional support.
OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING VICTIM/
WITNESS CENTER
Mary Anne Castellano, Victim/Witness Specialist
Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Colorado
1961 Stout Street, 13th Floor
Denver, Colorado 80294
The Oklahoma Bombing Victim/Witness Center offered much-needed sensitivity
and compassion to the 135 survivors, family members of victims and rescue
workers who appeared as witnesses at both trials. Comprised of victim/witness
specialists from six United States Attorney's offices, the Center
familiarized itself with the background of each victim and witness in an
effort to understand their unique needs, helped those called to testify
to make sense of the judicial process, acted as a conduit to victim
services, and advocated for victims and survivors when they encountered
problems with employers.
DENVER MEDIA LOGISTICS/CONSORTIUM
Amy Bourgeron, Director
1437 Bannock, Room 379
Denver, Colorado 80202
The Denver Media Logistics/Consortium demonstrated victim-sensitive news
coverage, as it remained aware and respectful of the emotional needs of
victims and survivors throughout the trials. Begun as a partnership
between victim advocates and the press, the Consortium quickly became a
self-generating committee of 72 news organizations that sought to ensure
compassionate treatment of victims and survivors in the media, while at
the same time maintaining the integrity and accuracy of information. Due
to the exceptional scrutiny given to the trials and the great potential
for media exploitation, the efforts of Consortium members merit sincere
gratitude.
OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING
PROSECUTION TEAM
Patrick Ryan, United States Attorney
Office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma
210 W. Park Avenue, Suite 400
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73102
The Oklahoma City Bombing Prosecution Team set a new standard for the sensitive
and inclusive treatment of victims in court. By requiring that members meet
with each of 168 families of the deceased and with the injured survivors,
the team demonstrated its commitment to ensuring that the impetus for serving
justice in the trials would be the needs of the victims themselves. Through
the creation of a victim database for the approximately 3,000 family members
and survivors, the installation of a toll-free number through which victims
could obtain needed assistance and by the convening of regular group meetings
with victims, it was able to communicate rapidly and efficiently to those
needing information. Working seven days a week, 12 or more hours per day
for over two years, the team viewed its mission as a responsibility to victims
above all else.
OVC is the Federal Government's chief advocate for crime victims and their
families. OVC
administers two grant programs for states to expand victim compensation
and assistance programs, as well as other grants to support innovative
programs benefiting crime victims. It also sponsors training to help
criminal justice officials and others better meet the needs of crime
victims and their families.
OVC's activities are financed by the Crime Victims Fund in the U.S.
Treasury. The Fund receives deposits each fiscal year—not from
taxpayers—but from fines and penalty assessments from convicted
federal criminals.
To learn more about OVC, its programs and resources, see the Web
site at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/ or the OJP home page at
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov. Or, call the OVC Resource Center
at 800–627–6872.
The information on this page is archived and provided for reference purposes only.
December 1999 