ACCESS art exhibit commemorates National Crime Victims’ Rights Week
Organization brings attention to victims’ rights at the Arab American National Museum
ACCESS will observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week 2016 with an art exhibit and presentation in the courtyard of the Arab American National Museum from 4:30pm-6:00pm today, featuring the work of local artists. ACCESS will also commemorate the advancement of victims’ rights by providing information about the services available for expanded support and assistance to communities affected by crime.
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week honors and celebrates the achievements of the past thirty years in securing rights, protections, and services for victims. The bipartisan Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), passed by Congress in 1984, created a national fund to ease victims’ suffering. The VOCA program at ACCESS serves the southeast Michigan community, including Wayne, Macomb and Oakland counties. The program helps clients with mental health recovery, healing and justice by providing counseling, psychiatric services, case management and legal advocacy.
“At ACCESS, fostering healthier communities is at the heart of our work, and, unfortunately, few communities are entirely free of crime. For that reason, ensuring that victims of crime are provided with the services and support they need to quickly recover and reestablish a sense of security is a leading priority at ACCESS’ Community Health and Research Center,” said Munira Kassim, the Supervisor of the Victims of Crime, Torture, and Abuse programs at the ACCESS Community Health and Research Center (CHRC).
Financed by fines and penalties paid by offenders, VOCA’s Crime Victims Fund supports services for victims of all types of crime, including assistance for assault survivors, survivors of child sexual abuse and victims of human trafficking as well as rape crisis centers and domestic violence programs among others. VOCA programs also fund victim compensation programs that pay victims’ out-of-pocket expenses such as counseling, funeral expenses, and lost wages.
The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) helps lead communities throughout the country in their annual observances of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) every April by promoting victims’ rights, and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. This year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, held April 10-16, is themed — Serving Victims. Building Trust. Restoring Hope. —presenting the opportunity to highlight the importance of providing needed services at the earliest stage of victimization.
“When we take the time to focus on the victim in the aftermath of crime—to address their needs for safety and justice—we can begin to build trust and restore the hope of those victims and their communities. We all play a role in helping victims as they rebuild their lives,” said Joye E. Frost, Director, Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), U.S. Department of Justice.
OVC encourages widespread participation in the week’s events and in other victim-related observances throughout the year. The U.S. Department of Justice will host OVC’s annual Service Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, April 12, in Washington, DC, to honor outstanding individuals and programs that serve victims of crime. For additional information about how to assist victims in your community, please contact ACCESS CHRC at 313-216-2202 or visit ACCESS’ website at www.accesscommunity.org. For additional ideas on how to support victims of crime, visit the Office for Victims of Crime website, www.ovc.gov.