BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Crime survivors from South Brooklyn’s Coney Island neighborhood are applauding today’s opening of a new Trauma Recovery Center (TRC) in their community. The new center, a project of the Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island (JCCGCI), will provide essential services to area crime victims and their families. Advocates say the city’s 5th TRC will help address the needs of local crime victims, break entrenched cycles of crime and victimization, and improve public safety.

Pennsylvania crime survivors today praised the House committee passage of HB 1678 – a part of the Safer Pennsylvania Act – which prioritizes rehabilitation programs to improve public safety. HB 1678, sponsored by Rep. Napoleon Nelson and bi-partisan co-sponsors, passed the House Judiciary Committee in a bi-partisan vote. This bill would help incarcerated people earn credits for educational programs and job training to ensure that they can successfully reenter society, as well as reduce the chances that they will reoffend.

PHOENIX – Arizona crime survivors today praised the passage of SB 1367 by the Senate Finance and Commerce Committee in a bipartisan vote, which expands access to occupational licenses for those with old non serious records. The bill – sponsored by Senator Shawnna Bolick (R-District 2) – creates a pathway for those seeking employment after being released back to their communities, allowing them to support their families and reducing the chances of reoffending.

WASHINGTON – The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) published yesterday newly proposed regulations to update guidelines for state victim compensation programs. The proposed regulations aim to end harmful exclusions and expand eligibility to all victims, deliver urgent help with less red tape, and reach more survivors in crisis.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Hundreds of crime survivors and families of murdered Floridians gathered at the state capitol today to urge lawmakers to expand support for crime victims and make communities safer. Crime survivors were joined by elected officials at Survivors Speak Florida – an annual event organized by Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice (CSSJ) – with families holding photos of murdered loved ones and advocating for public safety reforms.  

California’s Felony Theft Threshold Is Lower Now than for 80% of California’s History

HARRISBURG – The State House Judiciary Committee today passed HB 1441 in a bipartisan vote, which expands housing protections for crime survivors seeking safer accommodations after violence. This bill would allow all violent crime victims and immediate family members to have the right to terminate a lease or have locks changed following a violent crime, without financial or legal consequences. It would also protect tenants from rent increases, refusals to rent, or evictions due to their victimization.

As a recent report sheds light on significant obstacles faced by individuals with an arrest or other legal record, TimeDone Texas unites Austin families to advocate for economic empowerment and enhanced public safety.

AUSTIN, Texas – At the request of local crime victims and their families, Texas finally opened its first Trauma Recovery Center in Austin today. The Harvest Trauma Recovery Center will provide free, comprehensive services to crime victims and their families, including counseling, crisis intervention, legal assistance, help with police reports, and more. 

Washington, D.C. – Alliance for Safety and Justice (ASJ) applauds the Central Iowa Trauma Recovery Center (TRC) for being named a recipient of the OVC FY 2023 Field-Generated Grant for Increasing Options and Expanding Access to Victims of Crime issued by the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs. 

The Central Iowa TRC is part of a network of centers that follow the TRC Model of Care, a best-practice intervention created in 2001 to serve survivors of violence who were falling through the cracks of traditional victims services with a combination of assertive outreach, trauma informed-mental health services, and care coordination.