Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen Announces National Crime Victims' Rights Week With Commemoration At Capitol On April 25, 2007

MADISON - Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced he will hold a public ceremony to commemorate National Crime Victims' Rights Week:

12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Wednesday
April 25, 2007
State Capitol Rotunda
Madison

Members of the public and news media are invited to join crime victims, families and criminal justice professionals in honoring and showing support for Wisconsin victims of crime. This year, Crime Victims Rights' Week is commemorated nationally April 22nd through 28th. The 2007 national theme is "Every Victim Every Time."

In addition to remarks presented by the Attorney General, the ceremony will feature a special art project -- a "clothesline display" created by youth victims of crime served by Milwaukee's Project Ujima. Project Ujima is one of the victim service organizations that receives funding through the Department of Justice's administration of federal grant programs to fund victim services in Wisconsin.

Project Ujima is a multi-disciplinary collaboration addressing youth violence through individual, family and community intervention and prevention strategies. It has provided services to Wisconsin crime victims, in affiliation with Children's Hospital in Milwaukee, since 2004. These services include: crisis intervention, case management, social and emotional support, youth development, mental health services, court services and victim advocacy. Twenty youths served by the program designed t-shirts to convey what it is like to be a survivor of crime. The t-shirts will hang from a clothesline in the Capitol Rotunda during the Attorney General's ceremony.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice provides mediation and referral services to victims of crime who need services or help exercising their rights. Crime victims can also call the Department's Victim Resource Center to complain about possible rights' violations (1-800-446-6564.) Additional information, including details about the rights of victims can be found at the DOJ Website, here.

National event link: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/ncvrw/2007/welcome.html