If
you are a VICTIM OF CRIME in Illinois,
Click Here
for more information about resources and victims services
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ILLINOISVICTIMS.org FRONT PAGE STORIES
IMPORTANT -Click here
for information on the 2008 Crime Victims Rights Roundtable Events
Written Testimony can be submitted by anyone statewide until early
June
The Victims Rights Amendment to
the Illinois Constitution needs to be "self-enforcing"-
Currently, it is NOT!
Here is language we
submitted to change the Constitutional Amendment on Victims Rights
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Read details about the presentation of the second IllinoisVictims.org
Victim Hero Award on April 23
POLITICAL / LEGISLATIVE HEADLINES
Illinois Congressman
Rahm Emmanuel sponsors Federal Legislation to protect Victims' Jobs
when they have to take off work to go to Court -
Click Here to support this national Bill
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SB 2254 PASSES THE SENATE!!
Urge the Illinois House to pass this pro-active bill to protect
victims families who go before the
Prisoner Review Board -
Help Us work to pass this important
reform measure!
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APRIL 21 Long Term
Prisoner Study Committee meeting cancelled
They are still debating possible plans to change release standards
for C number prisoners (HJR 80). Victims Families have not been notified!
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HB 4154 would allow early release for prisoners serving
long term and life sentences
A PUBLIC HEARING was held in
Springfield on April 30
But victims of these prisoners have not been notified!
Download a PDF our testimony to the
committee
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Voting PRO-VICTIM in 2008
See what candidates we have vetted for their positions on Victim Issues
and endorsed in the Fall Elections
"Juvenile Lifers"
LINK HERE to the new website for the
National Organization of Victims of Juvenile Lifers
www.jlwopvictims.org
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Click here for news on
Victims Families and the murderers of their loved ones
when the offender was under the age of 18
and was sentenced to Life Without Parole in Illinois
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See names of victims we want to notify about this
effort to free their loved ones' killers
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PAROLE BLOCK
HEADLINES
(for murder cases from before 1978 when Illinois still had indeterminate
sentencing)
Illinois' longest serving killer, William Heirens, still
comes up annually for parole - the constantly re-agonized family of young
Suzanne Degnan still faithfully battles this case each year
Click Here to contact the Prisoner
Review Board to oppose his release
***
The murderer of
Hillside Patrolman Anthony Raymond is coming up for a
parole hearing with the Prisoner Review Board.
Join us in
calling for no early release for Cop Killers.
Click here to view the letter his family wrote to ask for help.
And Click here to download a
petition that you can circulate and send to the Prisoner Review Board.
***
Links to the moving
video on YouTube about the life and death of fallen Hero Mike Mayborne here
After only a few months off from this horrible annual process, the family
of murdered Winnebago County Sheriff's Police Michael Mayborne is having
to fight the parole once again of Bacino, his killer.
Please help his
family and show your support for all of our fallen law enforcement heroes.
***
In June, Simon Peter Nelson, who committed the most horrific crime
in Rockford history, will be up for parole. Read
about what you can do here at the
Rockford Register Star's website.
See our Rockford Area page for more cases
in the Rockford area of Illinois
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COOK COUNTY RAPE VICTIM begs the Illinois
Prisoner Review Board not to release her attacker who killed and raped
multiple women and who is sentenced to 1,500 years in prison, yet
inexplicably is up for release every year
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
All victims and victim advocates in
Illinois should participate in this extraordinary opportunity:
The Victim Advocate for
the Illinois
Attorney General
is planning for special hearings around the state during
April and May
that will allow victims to give input to improve victims laws
and services
Written Testimony can be submitted until June
The Roundtable Discussions will include:
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Personal experiences of victims, both positive and
negative, via both oral and written testimony
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Identification of issues and concerns regarding victims
services
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Ideas for enforcement and vindication of victims rights
in Illinois
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HEARING #1 and #2, already
completed, were in Chicago and Springfield
Three additional roundtables will follow in May and
June in other Illinois cities
to be posted soon here and on the Attorney
General's website
IllinoisVictims.org
submitted important testimony
and participated in the planning for this series of programs to allow victims
to share their experiences of
what is good and bad about victims rights enforcement,
victims services and laws pertaining to victim
issues, around the state.
Victims can submit any written testimony and make up to
three minutes of oral testimony
on any topic of concern - Share what you have learned to make victims
rights better in Illinois!
Contact the Victim Advocate for the Attorney General with questions
IllinoisVictims.org has already begun meeting with
Senator John Milner and other pro-victim members of the Illinois General
Assembly about sponsoring legislation to improve victims rights in our
state-
more details will be coming soon!
OTHER VICTIM and
MEDIA HEADLINES
***
See our "In the News" page
***
See Media Coverage of
our IllinoisVictims.org 2008 HERO AWARD winner
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SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR
CHILDREN OF VICTIMS!
The Peyton Tuthill Foundation, non-profit, 501(c)3, in
memory of Peyton Tuthill,
daughter of Pat Tuthill of Florida, will be giving 4 - $1000 college
scholarships
to children who have been left behind by homicide.
Applications may be downloaded from the web site at
www.peytontuthill.org
and are currently being accepted.
***
Great Video on YouTube that shows a little of what Restorative Justice is
about
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And
The IllinoisVictims.org Hero Award Goes To:
2007
IllinoisVictims.org's first annual Victims' Hero Award
was presented to Cook County States Attorney Richard Devine at press
conference in his offices on Monday, October 15, 2007. Shown here are the
victims' family members in attendance - representing all phases of the
criminal justice process.: Barbara McKee, Bill Jenkins, Betty Degnan Finn,
Jeanne Bishop, Denise Reed, and Jaquie Algee. Mr. Devine stated that it will be one of his most
treasured awards and that he will continue
to be involved in protecting victims' rights even in his retirement.
Read Details here
Send us your nominees to receive this award
2008
Click
Here for MEDIA coverage and more for our Second IllinoisVictims.org
HERO AWARD recipient
Winnebago County Victim Advocate Barbara Stone
In attendance in Rockford were dozens
of victims family members who have lost loved ones due to homicide. Barbara
Stone received her award that evening from grateful victims families, with
excellent media coverage. We remain grateful to the Rockford area news media
for always giving victims issues excellent coverage so consistently!
Barb Stone is a model Victim Advocate
working in her county for the States Attorney. She goes above and beyond the
call every day. She is a true friend and not only does her job, but works
proactively and at a statewide level to make sure that all victims rights
are protected, and that all victims and families have support. We love you,
Barb!
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Why We Are Here
We are a group of victims of
violent
crime, many with offenders serving sentences in Illinois. We have affiliated
ourselves with the
National Coalition of
Victims in Action as part of a nationwide network of victim activists..
We know it is an absolute
right that victims
should be empowered to be heard in all matters, if they wish, that would affect their
interests. Often matters affecting victims, such as legislation and prison
release, happen without the affected victims being told. We have created this website as a clearinghouse
of information to help all crime victims in Illinois know about, and be able to
act on, if they wish, any matters of interest to their lives.
Like the tragedies that
brought us unwillingly into the victim community, the actions and initiatives of
others, beyond our control, have once again drawn us against our wills into
activism as we work to respond to their challenges to peace for victims' lives.
We understand the term
"victim" not to be one of disempowerment but a legal description that should
empower us to stand up for the rights we have been guaranteed in state
constitutions and statutes. We respond to concerns about our well-being and public safety.
Part of our function is as a victims
rights watchdog group to keep an
eye on the actions and initiatives of those who may
not understand or accept how they would affect victims and survivors of crime.
We will attempt to communicate information on legislation, Department of
Corrections, prison reform groups, and any other activity that might be of
interest to victims in Illinois and which may call for action or input by those
families.
Please send us any items of interest that you would like to see included in this
information clearinghouse. Anything of concern to victims is appropriate for
this website.
This website, though serving
many victims' issues, has been created primarily out of the need to find and
inform victims of Illinois serious violent crimes about proposed changes in the
prison sentences they were promised that the offenders in their cases would
serve.
If you are one of these categories of victims, please
contact us for important information about pending legislation that will affect
you:
1. A murder victim's family member or friend whose loved one's killer is serving
a long term (25 years or more)or life sentence in Illinois.
2. A murder victim's family member or friend whose loved one's killer was under
the age of 18 at the time of the crime.
3. A victim advocate that works with victims of Illinois crime that fall into
one of the above categories.
You should know more about the proposals making their way before the Illinois
Legislature that would retroactively change their fixed sentences without a
court or an appeal, and without notifying you, the victims or the public, that
such a change is being proposed.
What We Believe
| We believe in the rights of
victims as enumerated in the Illinois Constitution, Federal Statutes,
and International Standards, and that they should be enforced.
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| We believe that Victims should be
fully notified of, and have input in, all matters regarding their case,
unless they choose not to, in enough advance time for them to prepare
appropriate input. This should include every phase of the criminal
justice process, from the original crime to the absolute end of the
case, and even after if new matters affecting it arise.
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| We believe that there are
inadequate measures in place to notify victims of their rights and
protect those rights at an institutional level. Greater availability and
notification of these rights should be the norm. Victims should be
far more empowered than they are.
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| We believe that a thorough
Restorative Justice process, which
focuses on healing the victims, should be encouraged to take place
whenever possible and reasonable between victims and offenders.
Restorative Justice has been demonstrated to be very helpful to victims
and in preventing other crimes. This should especially be the case when
offenders are seeking early release or re-entering society from
serving prison terms. Restorative Justice has proven to be most
effective when used in other nations.
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| We believe that people can change
and we hope that in prison, after victimizing people, offenders
will work to rehabilitate. But we know that prisons are not places that
emphasize rehabilitation, nor does our society focus as it should. Rehabilitation as a process for offenders cannot truly take
place without full accountability to the victims of their crimes.
Offenders who want to demonstrate that they have rehabilitated should be
given opportunities even within the prison to work to make restitution
to their victims. They should be moved, as they improve, to prisons of
lesser security with more programs that allow them to help others, and
they should be allowed to apologize to their victims, only if the
victims wish to receive that apology.
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| We believe that punishment and
rehabilitation are separate issues. Prison sentences are a
reflection of societal outrage over behaviors not tolerated. Punishment
by serving prison terms often is an appropriate reaction to very serious
wrong-doing. We believe society has a right to develop policies aimed at
behavior management and public safety.
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| We believe that the
Illinois
Prisoner Review Board, which has significant power over the 48,000
prisoners serving in the Illinois
Department of Corrections, and almost no mechanisms for
accountability, should be balanced to represent the interests of
victims, public safety, law enforcement, and inmates. We believe that
there should be at least one victim serving on the PRB representing the
vital interests of victims, as well as prosecutors, law enforcement, and
psychiatrists. The PRB has often been criticized for having patronage
appointees.
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| We believe more understanding,
resources, and improved mechanisms for dealing with victims and
accountability to victims need to be created in all levels and functions
of government in the State of Illinois that deal with victims of crime.
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| We believe that in order for the
Constitution to work with its system of checks and balances, we need a
clemency system in Illinois that works to address those rare cases of
error in the Judicial system. We believe that of the hundreds of
petitions sent to the Prisoner Review Board every year only a very few
are genuinely worthy of consideration. We believe that prisoners should voluntarily limit themselves
to clemency appeals that are truly legitimate legally, morally, and
ethically in order to not unduly tax or clog the system that is designed
ultimately for their benefit. We believe that the clemency system
should be de-politicized for Governors in general. And we believe that
for the most part, people who commit crimes should serve the sentences they have been
given.
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| We believe that the Legislature,
with a fully engaged and informed public, is where the appropriate
sentence for all categories of crime should be determined. We believe
that a Court of Law, where due process of law is protected, is the
appropriate place for individual sentence for a given criminal to be
determined. We do not believe that other entities with no public
accountability or due process rights should be able to determine sentences for offenders.
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| We believe that in prisoner's
cases where there are questions of innocence or over-sentencing, we
should have a legal system that can reliably address those issues
through judicial appeals and a working clemency process. Only then can
Due Process be protected. Bringing back parole and indeterminate
sentencing to Illinois is not the way to correct those problems - it
is anti-victim, wildly discriminatory, and a
massive and unwieldy bureaucracy. Illinois did away with indeterminate sentencing
in the late 70's, partially because it is so hard on victims, and a lot
due to the inherent inequities of the system, such as rampant racism.
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| We believe that law enforcement,
prosecutors, court officials,
and everyone who works in the criminal justice system have some of the
most difficult and thankless jobs in the world. Inevitably, human
institutions will be flawed, but we should all work together to
achieve the best possible legal system for building and protecting our
communities.
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| We believe that the focus in
Illinois and everywhere should be on PREVENTION of crime and violence,
and that our resources should reflect that. It is "penny wise and pound
foolish" to spend millions on prisons and punishment, when much less
financial investment on prevention measures will not only save money but
lives - of victims as well as offenders.
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Our Campaign to Bring All
Courthouses into Compliance with Illinois Law with regards to Posting a
copy of Victim's Rights
We
have not checked all the county courthouses in the state, but the many we
have checked are not in compliance with a state law that requires them to
post a copy of what Rights Victims have under the Illinois Constitution.
We have seen in every courthouse,
however, the required postings of defendant's rights.
We wonder, why is it that county
courthouses all over the state can follow one part of the law in this
regard, but ignore the most important people of all in the criminal
justice process - the victims?
Illinois Law clearly states:
A statement and
explanation of the rights of crime victims set forth in paragraph (a) of
this Section shall be given to a crime victim at the initial contact with
the criminal justice system by the appropriate authorities and shall
be conspicuously posted in all court facilities.
We believe that all 102 States'
Attorneys will have to work separately at the county level to ensure
compliance with this law, that we know for a fact is not generally being
complied with, and is in fact, being totally ignored. We are grateful that
candidates for the upcoming race for States Attorney in Cook County
including Larry Suffredin and Bob Milan have promised to make an issue of
this.
We will also suggest to Attorney
General Lisa Madigan that her office investigate the non-compliance with
this state law by courthouses all over the state.
The bottom line is this: the law was
created because every day scared, hurting, vulnerable people whose lives
have often been brutally victimized for the first time walk into an
Illinois Courthouse. They need to know what they can expect!
This is one of the most crucial times
in their lives. They need good information. They may be lucky enough to be
receiving victims' services, but that system is overburdened in most parts
of the state, and non-existent in others.
Click here to take action.
Following are your rights as a
crime victim under the Illinois Constitution:
SECTION 8.1. CRIME VICTIM'S RIGHTS.
(a) Crime victims, as defined by law, shall have the
following rights as provided by law:
(1) The right to be
treated with fairness and respect for their
dignity and privacy throughout the criminal
justice process.
(2) The right to
notification of court proceedings.
(3) The right to
communicate with the prosecution.
(4) The right to make a
statement to the court at sentencing.
(5) The right to
information about the conviction, sentence,
imprisonment, and release of the accused.
(6) The right to timely
disposition of the case following the arrest of
the accused.
(7) The right to be
reasonably protected from the accused throughout the criminal justice
process.
(8) The right to be
present at the trial and all other court proceedings on the same basis as
the accused, unless the victim is to testify and the court determines that
the victim's testimony would be materially affected if the victim hears
other testimony at the trial.
(9) The right to have
present at all court proceedings, subject to the rules of evidence, an
advocate or other support person of the victim's choice.
(10) The right to
restitution.
These rights are supposed to be
made known to all crime victims in Illinois from the FIRST point of
contact with the "system" - either police, prosecutors, victim advocates,
or some other public entity.
But we know this is NOT
happening, consistently, or even generally. Educating all public employees
to their legal and ethical obligations in this matter is vital.
Until victims rights, protected
constitutionally just as the rights of the accused, are as high a priority
to those who respond to crime and crisis, people will continue to be hurt
and suffer needlessly. Everyone knows the Miranda warnings, and other
trial rights for the guilty. But how many people know the rights of crime
victims, the innocents?
"Justice will only be achieved when those who are
not injured by crime feel as indignant as those who are."
-Solomon (635-577 B.C.)
"Non-violence is
not inaction. It is not discussion. It is not for the timid or weak...
Non-violence is hard work. It is the willingness to sacrifice. It is the
patience to win."
~ Cesar Chavez (Activist and Labor Organizer)
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Contact Us
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Important Resources for Victims of Crime in
Illinois and Elsewhere
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Illinois Victim
Groups Meetings
(send
us any meeting info to post)
Support Groups for Families
(sessions divide by age)
Victim Witness Assistance Program of Cook County
2650 S California - 13th Floor
Chicago, IL, 773-869-5321
Meets April 19, May 17, June 21
Parents Of Murdered
Children (POMC)
Chicago Chapter
POMC
Little Company of Mary Hospital
2800 W. 95th St
Evergreen Park, IL
773-660-9659
POMC Westside Chapter
Monthly Meetings at:
Mount Sinai Hospital
California Ave at 15th St, Chicago
Third Tuesday of every month
6:30-8:30 p.m.
Samantha Glover, Chapter leader
708-576-8326
Emma Daviston, Co-Leader
773-521-7329
ROCKFORD AREA
Homicide Victims Support Group
Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS)
Illinois Chapter
PURPOSE OVER PAIN
Chicago area victims working for violence prevention
Chicago
Catholic Charities sponsors LOSS
Loving outreach to
Survivors of Suicide
312-655-7283
SENIOR SUPPORT GROUP
Bridgeview Courthouse
10220 S 76th Ave Room 223
Bridgeview, IL
773-869-7215
April 19, May 17, June 21
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Action Alerts
Take Action to Protect Victims' Rights in
Illinois
Illinois Concerns of Police Survivors Parole Watch - Sign Petitions Here
Post Victims' Rights in all Illinois
Courthouses as prescribed by law
Murder Is Not Entertainment:
a project of POMC (Parents of Murdered Children)
Host a "Lie-In"
in support of the Virginia Tech Victims and protest easy access to guns by
criminals |
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Victim Activists at Work
AROUND THE NATION:
******
MADD Victim Services
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Fight
Crime: Invest in Kids
Parents of a Virginia Tech Victim
ANGELFUNDVA.ORG
New York Victims Voices
YOU HAVE THE POWER
in Tennessee
The Violent Trauma Awareness
Project
www.vtap.org
in California
Carrie
Freitag's Book
Aftermath in the Wake of Murder
Crime Victims United of
California
Colorado Crime Victims -
COVA
National Coalition of
Victims in Action
The Polly Franks
Foundation
where you can help with Operation Fuzzy Wuzzy for child victims of sexual abuse
Linking With Victims for
Change - Gun Violence
Debra Puglisi Sharp's Story of
Survival
Children of Homicide Victims can apply for
scholarships at
www.peytontuthill.org
The Peacemaking Work of
Azim Khamisa
National, based in California
Victims for Justice
Alaskans working for
victims' rights
Lucy
Logan's
Who Killed Our Kids
work on
unsolved murders
in Cinncinnati
Maggie Doran, St Paul, MN
The Ben Doran Foundation
Debbie Parnham's LIFESENTENCE
in Arizona
Victims promoting self-defense at
www.girlsfightback.com
Bereaved Parents of the USA
Find Chapters all over the nation
Murder Victims Families for
Human Rights
and their blog discussing death
penalty issues and victims
www.mvfhr.blogspot.com
The
Sonoma County Survivor Project
"Listening for a Change"
A Survivor of the
Virginia Tech Massacre has put out a safety alarm backpack for students
www.peytontuthill.org
has scholarships for children
of homicide victims
The
Willie Williams Youth Foundation in Chicago
with sports and positive programs to keep youth off the streets
Rainbow
PUSH Coalition
in 10 US Cities works to help
victims and crime prevention
South Carolina
Victim
Assistance Network
Victims Voices Heard
runs an "apology letter bank"
WITNESS
JUSTICE
is a national victim advocacy organization based in
Maryland
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Download a PDF
version of IllinoisVictims.org fact sheet for distribution and reference |
|
The Best Resource for
Victims of Traumatic Loss
Information for ordering copies
of What to Do When the Police
Leave: A Guide to the First
Days of Traumatic Loss |
Victims and
Victim Issues
IN THE NEWS |
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Victims' voices are not silent
in Illinois.
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