National Crime Victims’ Rights Week: Opportunity to raise awareness for victims’ rights

JACKSONVILLE, Fla — National Crime Victims’ Rights Week was established to provide an opportunity to raise awareness of victims’ rights.

This year National Crime Victims Week will be commemorated the week of April 23th –April 29th. District Attorney Keith Higgins and the employees of the Victim-Witness Assistance Program encourage our communities to embrace this year’s theme: SURVIVOR VOICES: ELEVATE. ENGAGE. EFFECT CHANGE.

This year’s theme calls upon communities to amplify the voices of survivors and commit to creating an environment where survivors have the confidence that they can be heard, believed, and supported.

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Originally established by President Ronald Reagan, the project has grown to teach the community about the effects of victimization and the need for services for those who are affected. At the time of the first Crime Victims Rights’ week, most states did not have formalized legal rights for victims.

Services were scant and mostly word of mouth. Victims were not informed of court proceedings and were largely left out of the criminal justice process. The Crime Victims Bill of Rights and later, Marsy’s Law, have better defined and legalized the rights of those victimized by crime.

The Brunswick Judicial Circuit will have a Memorial Wall at each Courthouse in the Circuit on display the entire week.

Families and friends are encouraged to drop by and write in the guestbook that will be on display along with photos of loved ones lost. Each county will also have a program that can be attended by community members, families and friends.

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The Wayne County program will be held April 26th from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm at the Wayne County Courthouse, located at 145 North Brunswick Street, Jesup, Georgia.

The Camden County program will be held April 27th from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm at the Camden County Courthouse located at 210 E. 4th Street, Woodbine, Georgia.

The Appling County program will be held April 24th from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Appling County Public Safety Complex located at 560 Barnes Street, Baxley, Georgia.

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The Jeff Davis County program will be held April 25th from 5:30 p..m to 6:30 p.m. at the Jeff Davis County Courthouse located at 14 Jeff Davis Street, Hazlehurst, Georgia.

The Glynn County program will be held April 28th from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Glynn County Courthouse located at 701 H Street, Brunswick, Georgia.

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