The effort to pass Marsy’s Law in Illinois began in 2008 when the extraordinary women at the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault who work on the front lines of crime victim services determined that the current victims rights constitutional language that had been in place in Illinois since 1992 was hurting and re-traumatizing victims of violent crime as they went through the court process. They gathered the army that became Marsy’s Law, championed by the Illinois Attorney General and other visionary leaders.

For all the angels that worked hard for 6 years to get these enforceable rights changes onto the ballot and for all those citizens who overwhelmingly voted to put Marsy’s Law into the Illinois Constitution, we are forever grateful. We have changed history. We have helped hurting people to have better outcomes. Help us tell the story of this new era of stronger protections for violent crime victims in Illinois so that our success can help inform the move to bring these rights into every state and ultimately the United States Constitution.

Thank you for supporting victims of violent crime in the aftermath of their personal tragedies.

Jennifer Bishop-Jenkins,
Marsy’s Law for Illinois