FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????? ???????????????????????????OVC
TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2003???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
202/307-0703
OFFICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME DIRECTOR JOHN W. GILLIS
SPOTLIGHTS COMMITMENT TO HELP CRIME VICTIMS WITH DISABILITIES
WASHINGTON,
D.C. ? Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Director John W. Gillis today
reaffirmed the Justice Department?s support of a nationwide effort to develop
effective services for crime victims with disabilities.
Speaking
at a press conference, Mr. Gillis stated, ?Crime victims with disabilities
frequently tell us that after they were victimized, they were unaware of their
basic rights and of the availability of services.? Stopping the victimization of children and adults with disabilities
requires the intervention of the criminal justice system, but it must be
coupled with strong support from victim assistance and disability service
providers.??
Today?s
event was sponsored by SafePlace, a Texas based organization that provides
support to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.? In 1996, Safe Place created its Disability
Services Program ? one of the first such programs in the nation.? In September 2002, OVC, which is a part of
the Justice Department?s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), awarded $850,000 to
SafePlace to develop promising practices and models for ensuring that victims
with disabilities receive needed services and interventions.
SafePlace?s
partners in this effort to develop effective services for crime victims with
disabilities will be:
?
The Southern Arizona
Center Against Sexual Assault in Tucson, Arizona
?
The Chadwick Center for
Children and Families at Children?s Hospital in San Diego, California
?
Center for Independent
Living of North Florida, Inc. in Tallahassee, Florida
?
Partnership Against
Domestic Violence in Atlanta, Georgia
?
Carbondale Police
Department in Carbondale, Illinois
?
Lafourche Parish
Sheriff?s Office in Thibodaux, Louisiana
?
Safe Passage, Inc. in
Northampton, Massachusetts
?
Rape Crisis Center of
Central Massachusetts in Worcester, Massachusetts
?
Ulster County Probation
Crime Victims Assistance Program in Kingston, New York
?
Network of Victim
Assistance in Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Mr.
Gillis joined SafePlace Executive Director Kelly White and SafePlace Disability
Services Counselor Kimberly Wisseman at the press conference.??????
More information about SafePlace and the
Promising Practices for Crime Victims with Disabilities Program is available
from the SafePlace website at http://www.austin-safeplace.org/
or by calling 512/267-SAFE.?
Additional
information about OVC, its programs and resources are available at through the
OJP Website at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ and from the
OVC Resource Center at 1-800/627-6872.
Media
should contact OJP?s Office of Communications at 202/307-0703.
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