A federal initiative is now in place to improve public safety for
people with disabilities; grants will go for greater reporting efforts,
rights training, and broader public awareness about the public safety
needs of this fifteen percent of the population.
Olegario D. Cantos,
Special Counsel to the Acting Assistant Attorney General, has spoken
extensively on the need for a nationwide public safety initiative
for people with disabilities. In a recent letter, Cantos wrote
that “all too often and in silence, people with
disabilities are victimized by physical, psychological, financial,
and sexual abuse or are otherwise victims of neglect. In the
worst of circumstances, they lose their very lives by the hands of
perpetrators of crime. This
state of affairs cannot and must not stand ….”
John Gillis, Director of the Office for Victims of Crime of the Office
for Justice Programs, announced the $2.5 million award to address victimization
of persons with disabilities.
The largest grants will
go to programs designed to “increase
reporting of victimization and ensure that crime victims with disabilities
receive comprehensive and accessible services and are afforded fundamental
rights. The awards to Disabled Persons Protection Commission (Quincy,
Montana) and SafePlace (Austin, Texas), each $700,000, also include
work to expand access to the criminal justice system in the aftermath
of criminal victimization.
Other programs receiving
significant support are those that will coordinate, develop and
administer “state-of-the-art” multi-disciplinary
training at a national conference. Wash-burn University of Topeka,
Kansas Joint Center on Violence and Victim Studies and the National
Center for Victims of Crime, NCVC, Washington, D.C. will receive
$550,000 each.
National
Crime Victims’ Rights
Week, 2008
A proclamation by President Bush
During National Crime
Victims’ Rights Week we highlight our dedication
to protecting and strengthening the rights of crime victims
and their families.
My Administration is committed to providing services and
resources for victims of crime so that they can find justice,
hope, and healing in their lives. To assist victims of
domestic violence and their children, my Family Justice
Center Initiative established comprehensive support centers
in communities across the country. Through the Justice
for All Act of 2004, we expanded DNA testing and enhanced
the scope and enforceability of crime victims’ rights.
In 2006, I signed into law the Adam Walsh Child Protection
and Safety Act to expand the National Sex Offender Registry,
increase Federal penalties for crimes against children,
and protect our children while on the Internet. I also
support a Crime Victims’ Rights Amendment to the
Constitution. Through these and other efforts, we can better
protect our citizens and our communities.
During National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, we recognize
the advocates, counselors, and others who assist victims
in their time of need, and the law enforcement personnel
who work to bring offenders to justice. To learn more about
victims’ rights, Americans can visit www.crime victims.gov.
By working together, we can help protect crime victims
and build a society that respects the life and value of
every person.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United
States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in
me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do
hereby proclaim April 13 through April 19, 2008, as National
Crime Victims’ Rights Week. I encourage all Americans
to promote awareness of victims’ rights and advance
this important cause.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh
day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight,
and of the Independence of the United States of America
the two hundred and thirty-second.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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To learn more about programs protecting the rights of people with
disabilities, visit the following Web sites:
• www.ovw.usdoj.gov/: “Education,
Training and Enhanced Services to End Violence Against and Abuse
of Women with Disabilities”
• www.ojp.usdoj.gov/: “2008
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Award Recipients”
• www.ojp.usdoj.gov/: “Office
for Victims of Crime: Putting Victims First”
• www.ojp.usdoj.gov/: “Department
of Justice Recognizes Service to Crime Victims.”
• www.ada.gov/: “Communicating
with People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: ADA Guide for Law
Enforcement Officers.”
• www.ada.gov/: “Model Policy for Law
Enforcement on Communicating with People who are Deaf or Hard of
Hearing.” ![end of story]()
