Dylan McKim and David Barer
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Hundreds of crime survivors and the households of crime sufferers rallied at the Texas Capitol Thursday afternoon to suggest for higher sufferer support and reforms which might be supposed to destroy the cycle of crime.
“Communities most harmed by violence need support to heal and feel safe again,” stated Terra Tucker, the Texas director for the Alliance for Safety and Justice.
The crowd – which integrated survivors of sexual attack and circle of relatives and gun violence, in addition to folks of youngsters misplaced to violence – accrued within the Capitol rotunda.
Aswad Thomas, vp of Alliance for Safety and Justice and the nationwide director of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, spoke at the development.
We are right here to “ensure our voices are at the center of public safety policies,” stated Thomas, a survivor of gun violence himself.
What the gang is looking for
Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice are tough lawmakers fund the state’s first trauma restoration heart. Some of those facilities are operational around the nation, and the gang stated this can be a confirmed fashion to assist sufferers heal within the wake of a crime.
“That’s why hundreds of Texas crime survivors will rally at the Capitol today and urge elected officials to invest in solutions that prioritize recovery as well as redemption to improve our collective safety,” Tucker stated.
The team could also be calling on lawmakers to take on the basis reasons of crime. It is tough the advance of the state’s probation machine and to support report sealing for low-level criminals so they are able to get a task, and no longer fall again right into a existence of crime.
In addition, the gang is advocating for law that will amplify get entry to to, and price range to be had from, the Texas Crime Victims’ Compensation Fund.
Crime Victims’ Compensation
The Crime Victims’ Compensation Fund is operated via the Office of Attorney General. It’s meant to supply cash to assist rebuild crime sufferers’ lives. The price range can be utilized to assist relocate, pay sanatorium expenses and recoup misplaced wages, amongst many different issues. KXAN foundteh department administering the fund has a top turnover and vacancies and has struggled to get price range out temporarily, in accordance to interior data bought via KXAN and interviews with more than one personnel contributors.
Jill Henderson stated she is aware of first hand how tricky it may be to get cash from the Compensation Fund. Henderson’s son, 22-year-old Bakari Henderson, was once killed whilst vacationing in Greece in 2017.
She stated she believes the Compensation Fund department will have to get extra money to make stronger its products and services. The procedure to check out to get price range was once antiquated and hard to navigate, she stated. Bakari stated she had to stay meticulous data and receipts, ship the entirety in via mail after which didn’t get any communique again.
You “wait months and months to get any type of compensation,” she stated.
Henderson stated she’s advocating for expenses that will make stronger and amplify facets of the Compensation Fund, together with SB 49 via Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, and HB 250 via Rep. Mary Gonzalez, D-Clint.
Those expenses would building up the volume of cash for relocation and bereavement go away, and it might amplify who is assessed as an circle of relatives member to make stronger get entry to to positive advantages, amongst different issues.
Who will probably be there
The rally started at midday within the Capitol rotunda. There was once a vigil for the overdue sufferers adopted via a news convention with survivors and lawmakers.
Editor’s notice: a prior model of this tale famous that the group stated that Congressman Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) would attend nowadays’s rally. The Congressman’s Chief of Staff instructed us that Gonzales might not be there as a result of he’s in Washington, D.C. nowadays.
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