OHIO — It’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, and a group of local and national gun violence advocates are calling for barriers to be removed to improve access to resources for those who have been affected by gun violence and other violent crimes in Northeast Ohio.
It's all a part of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice’s multi-city tour for the Crime Survivors Speak: Right to Heal – Access to Victim Compensation campaign.
Organization leaders said they hope to raise awareness of victim compensation programs and advocate for policy changes that remove barriers to access.
“When you think about crime victims who are most impacted by crime and violence, it’s people that look like me,” said The National Director for Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice and Vice President of the Alliance for Safety and Justice Aswad Thomas.
After Aswad Thomas said he was shot in the back twice and nearly killed during an attempted robbery, Thomas said he called for help, but he said it took 10 years before his call was answered.
“(I) was never made aware of the victim compensation program. Was never connected to a victim advocate, and we see it often especially in communities of color,” said Thomas.
Since 2016, Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice has had a footprint in Ohio for Thomas to tell his story to empower and educate crime survivors. He told News 5 those survivors had been overlooked, like Cheryl Pritchard, a community advocate and organizer of Planting Positive Seeds and Retention 216.
“I was told by victims for crime in 2009 that I didn’t qualify for the assistance from victims of crime because I wasn’t shot, so that didn’t make sense to me. You know I was assaulted. I was hurt. My lifestyle had changed, and I needed some help,” said Pritchard
According to a 2022 National Poll by the Alliance for Safety and Justice, they found 96% of violent crime victims did not receive victim compensation to help in their recovery.
Now, Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice members like Tomeka Ewing, a community advocate and organizer of A Useful Vessel Counseling and Resources, are advocating to local and state officials and even the Attorney General’s office for better access to the victim compensation program. They are also advocating for more investment in trauma recovery centers like Cleveland’s Brenda Glass Trauma Recovery Center.
“A lot of people are not aware of victim compensation. They don’t believe they qualify for it. They don’t know what it entails, so we’re here to help break that barrier,” said Ewing
Here’s the link to complete the organization’s victim compensation survey.
Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice said the organization is not the administrator of the Ohio Crime Victim Compensation Program but serves as a hub to bring awareness and help improve the program for all survivors.
Also, if you’re interested in attending future events, here are some they have coming up this week:
National event:
April 10 at 1 p.m.
Access to Victims Compensation Campaign Kickoff Webinar.
Local Cleveland events:
April 10 from 4 -7 p.m.
Cleveland Right to Heal Memorial & Recognition, East Cleveland Public Library, 14101 Euclid Ave, East Cleveland, OH 44112, USA
April 12 at 3 p.m.
Cleveland Healing Vigil Day of Action, Ken Ferguson Civic Center, 4071 Lee Road, Cleveland, OH 44128
