The biggest statement we hear from crime victims is that they don’t want what happened to them to happen to anyone else. OVA supports measures that provide education and safety programs, like the It’s On Us campus safety and teen dating violence prevention initiative, as well as enhancements to PFA protections. We also seek funding for community access to evidence-based crime prevention programs and gun violence reduction initiatives.
Trauma-informed victim services are a key component to reducing the secondary trauma that crime survivors often face when engaging with the justice system. OVA supports the vision of a trauma-informed Commonwealth and seeks opportunities to promote
- enhanced services for marginalized populations
- improved access to victims’ rights and services
- funding opportunities for Trauma Recovery Centers
Restorative justice is a process to involve – to the extent possible – those who have a stake in a specific offense and to collectively identify and address harms, needs, and obligations, in order to heal and put things as right as possible. OVA supports measures that will
- increase access to supportive re-entry programs for incarcerated crime survivors
- enhance the prioritization of restitution payments to crime victims
- provide funding for community-based mediation and conflict resolution programs
Many criminal justice system reforms aim to address structural issues that have influenced mass incarceration, racial profiling, and recidivism. OVA is honored to work alongside partners committed to reshaping Pennsylvania’s justice system. We seek opportunities to equitably ensure that crime victims’ voices are a part of the reform process. Some aspects of reform that OVA is following are:
- probation reforms that establish mandatory review processes allowing for termination of probation
- medical and geriatric parole options
- parole eligibility for those serving life sentences
- statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse cases
- expansion of crime definitions related to unlawful contact with minors
- extension of the Rape Shield Law to include victims of trafficking
- allowance for expert testimony in human trafficking cases
- increased grading of trafficking of infants from misdemeanor to felony
- requiring the court to consider trafficking convictions before making child custody decisions