Lynn, Thank you for this excellent piece for National Crime Victim Rights Week. I am proud that you and County Attorney Kimberly Graham are promoting crime victim justice. I worked with crime victims for 38 years. In 1989, a legislative task force recommended consolidating state-level crime victim services together in a new Crime Victim Assistance Division in Attorney General Tom Miller’s Office. At that time, the state funding for 16 domestic and sexual abuse victim programs was only $96,000. There were no state funds for homicide victim families, vehicular crash victims, or victim services in County Attorney’s Offices. The state investment to help crime victims has been stuck at $5,016,708 since 2017. In 1998, General Miller proposed legislation to bring all of the statutes for crime victims into one place in the Iowa Code. The result was Iowa Code Chapter 915. Justice is not served until victims are served.
Marti, thank you for adding that context and perspective. We have come a long way for crime victims, thanks in part to your leadership at the AG's Office and the Legislature.
Lynn, Thank you for this excellent piece for National Crime Victim Rights Week. I am proud that you and County Attorney Kimberly Graham are promoting crime victim justice. I worked with crime victims for 38 years. In 1989, a legislative task force recommended consolidating state-level crime victim services together in a new Crime Victim Assistance Division in Attorney General Tom Miller’s Office. At that time, the state funding for 16 domestic and sexual abuse victim programs was only $96,000. There were no state funds for homicide victim families, vehicular crash victims, or victim services in County Attorney’s Offices. The state investment to help crime victims has been stuck at $5,016,708 since 2017. In 1998, General Miller proposed legislation to bring all of the statutes for crime victims into one place in the Iowa Code. The result was Iowa Code Chapter 915. Justice is not served until victims are served.
Marti, thank you for adding that context and perspective. We have come a long way for crime victims, thanks in part to your leadership at the AG's Office and the Legislature.
Thanks for highlighting victims of crimes in Iowa. Great information.