Gov. Kim Reynolds Signs National Crime Victims' Rights Week Proclamation

Gov. Kim Reynolds recently signed a proclamation declaring April 8 – 14 as National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in Iowa. We commend the governor’s action and thank her for her leadership on these issues.

National Crime Victims’ Rights Week – April 8-14, 2018

Whereas,              Iowans are the victims of thousands of crimes each year, affecting individuals, families and our communities;

Whereas,               years of Iowa’s investment in crime victims’ rights and services have developed a system of response that can help victims recover from crime;

Whereas,               reaching and serving all victims of crime is essential to thriving communities, because those who receive holistic services and support are more likely to remain invested in their communities;

Whereas,              dedicated victim service providers are working every day to meet the needs of victims, yet there are still too many survivors without meaningful access to rights and services;

Whereas,               many survivors face barriers – such as isolation, language limitations, distrust of the system, lack of transportation, or cultural barriers – that keep them from accessing the services and systems that can help them recover;

Whereas,              we, as Iowans, must make a dedicated effort to expand the circle of those prepared to respond to victims and link them to resources;

Whereas,              engaging a broader array of healthcare providers, community leaders, faith organizations, educators, and businesses can provide new links between victims and services that improve their safety, healing and access to justice;

Whereas,               National Crime Victims’ Rights Week provides us an opportunity to recommit to ensuring that all victims of crime – especially those who are challenging to reach or serve – are afforded their rights and receive trauma-informed response;

Whereas,               the Victim Advisory Council of the Iowa Department of Corrections, and the Iowa Organization for Victim Assistance are hereby dedicated to strengthening victims and survivors in the aftermath of crime, building resilience in our communities and our victim responders, and working for justice for all victims and survivors;

Now, therefore, I, as Governor of Iowa, do hereby proclaim the week of April 8014, 2018 as Crime Victims’ Rights Week in Iowa

And reaffirm this state’s commitment to creating services and criminal justice responses that assist all victim of crime during Crime Victims’ Rights Week and throughout the year; and to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation for those community members, victim service providers, and criminal justice professionals who are committed to improving our response to victims so that they may find relevant assistance, support, justice, and peace.