NOTICE: The following
article is written by the author itself and not by me, I am not trying to
violate their copyright. I will give some information on them. I chose this as
the article on the death penalty of the week, because on this date, 8 April
1981, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’
Rights Week that year.
PAGE TITLE: http://www.ovc.gov/archive/index.html
ARTICLE TITLE: A Tribute to
President Ronald W. Reagan
DATE: 10 to 16 April 2005
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President
Ronald Reagan
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The 2005 Silver Anniversary of National Crime
Victims' Rights Week is dedicated to President Ronald W. Reagan, who first
proclaimed this time-honored national observance on April 8, 1981.
In proclaiming the first National Crime Victims'
Rights Week, President Reagan said: “We need a renewed emphasis on, and an
enhanced sensitivity to, the rights of victims. These rights should be a
central concern of those who participate in the criminal justice system, and it
is time all of us paid greater heed to the plight of victims.” Twenty-five
years later, his eloquent words still ring true.
Consider for a moment the plight of crime victims in
1981.
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There were 41.4 million crimes committed in 1981,
as compared to 24.2 million violent and property crime victimizations in 2003.
“Victims' rights” were virtually an oxymoron, as few existed and even less were
implemented in accordance with the nascent law of the era. The federal Crime
Victims Fund was not even on the horizon – a Fund that, since established by
President Reagan and the U.S. Congress in 1984, has provided over $6 billion in
financial support for victim compensation and victim services from fines, fees
and assessments from federal criminal offenders. There were only a handful of
programs that provided assistance and support to crime victims, as compared to
over 10,000 community- and system-based programs in 2005, including nearly
5,700 programs that receive support from the Crime Victims Fund.
President Reagan literally put crime victims'
rights, needs and concerns on the American agenda of public safety and public
health concerns. He established clearly and convincingly that victims'
rights are human rights that affect us all. By establishing his President's
Task Force on Victims of Crime in 1981, and then taking its Final Report and
recommendations to heart, he created a vital venue that made crime victims'
needs and rights a priority for his Administration and those that
followed it, and for our Nation as a whole.
His historical and pioneering efforts on behalf of
victims of crime in America are best described by California Judge Lois Haight,
who chaired his 1981 President's Task Force on Victims of Crime:
“Twenty-five years ago, with few crime victims'
rights and very limited victim services, President Ronald Reagan began truly
pioneering efforts that created a vision for our field and, for the first time,
focused national attention on the plight of victims of crime. Without his
efforts, we would not have had the landmark President's Task Force on Victims
of Crime, whose 1982 Final Report and recommendations resulted in the
creation of the Office for Victims of Crime within the U.S. Department of
Justice.”
Without the vision and leadership of President
Reagan, there would be NO:
- National Crime Victims' Rights Week.
- President's Task Force on Victims of Crime that, in 1982, produced a Final Report and 68 recommendations that provided the foundation for victims' rights and services in years to come.
- Office for Victims of Crime within the U.S. Department of Justice established in 1983 that has become America's driving force behind efforts to treat victims with dignity and respect, implement their rights under law, and educate the public about the impact of crime on victims, families and communities.
- Attorney General's Task Force on Family Violence in 1984 that, for the first time, examined the scope and impact of domestic violence in America, and developed recommendations to improve our nation's law enforcement, criminal justice and community response to offenses that, previously, were considered merely “family matters.”
- National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which provided strong incentives to states to raise their minimum drinking age to 21 – the national law today.
- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that was established by President Reagan in 1984.
- Victim/witness programs within all U.S. Attorneys' offices, and within the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
- National Child Safety Partnership with 26 member organizations to enhance private sector efforts to promote child safety and public awareness of child abuse.
- Greatly needed public attention and funding to victims of crime in Indian Country.
The timing was right. The leadership was committed.
The vision was created. As Former Nevada Governor Robert Miller, a member of
Reagan's President's Task Force on Victims of Crime, said: “The time had come,
the place was there and, fortunately, President Reagan and Attorney General Ed
Meese had the foresight to move forward on it.”
Task Force Chair Lois Haight summarizes the influence
and impact of Reagan's efforts: “The ‘victims' rights' field as we know it
today would not exist without the amazing vision and foresight of
President Reagan. When crime victims in 2005 are treated with compassion,
afforded rights, and have access to services and support, they can join us all
in thanking and paying tribute to President Ronald Reagan, who paved this
vital path to justice.”
One of Reagan's predecessors, President Woodrow
Wilson, said, “You are not here merely to make a living. You are here to enable
the world to live more amply, with greater vision, and with a finer spirit of
hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world.”
This “spirit of hope and achievement” described by
President Wilson embodies the spirit of the field of crime victim services
today. There is no greater tribute to President Ronald Reagan than this legacy.
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April 10–16, 2005
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