by Richard Prior
Staff Writer
The victims are fighting back.
A Victims of Crime Summit and issues workshop will examine topics from stalking to dating violence Nov. 18 and 19 at the Adam’s Mark Hotel.
The sessions will be begin at 8 a.m. both days with registration running until 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
The workshop is open to the public, “particularly service providers,” said Eric Smith, executive director of The Center for Strategic Governance and International Initiatives at Florida Coastal School of Law.
Service providers and others will learn “the latest issues dealing with children and young people as crime victims,” he added. “Unfortunately, there are a lot of issues. There are a lot of child victims.
“People need to be aware of the problem and have some training on how to deal with it.”
The training sessions should also be of interest to people in law enforcement and anyone interested in the victims movement, he said.
Workshop topics will include civil justice, community needs assessment, crisis intervention, evidence-based prosecution of domestic violence, outreach to male victims, stalking and sexual assault, working with teen victims and “when helping hurts.”
One segment will be devoted to “parallel justice.”
“That is a new concept that guarantees victims the same restorative justice that is extended to accused and convicted criminals,” said Smith. “It guarantees that, within the system, there will be medical help, counseling and the right to an attorney to assist at a reasonable charge or no charge.
“There’s a whole concept put forth by the National Crime Victims Center that talks point for point about victims being followed through the process, even if there’s been no one apprehended that can be lawfully charged,
“A lot of the time, victims are dumped. The victim has no value to the system. This process puts victims at the very top of the criminal justice agenda, instead of being so ill-treated as they are today.”
The workshop is co-sponsored by The National Center for Victims of Crime.
Smith is on the board of the NCVC, whose headquarters is in Washington, D.C.
“I came up with the idea for this because of my interest in crime victims over the years,” he said. “I had the notion we needed a crime victim summit, and I was able to get a generous grant from the M.A. Healy Foundation.”
Additional assistance has been provided by the City’s Victim Services Center.
There will be a fee charged for those who attend because the grant and additional assistance couldn’t cover all the costs. Reduced fees are available by going to the NCVC website (www.ncvc.org) and clicking on information about the 2003 Training Institute.
Those who are interested in attending may also register by calling Smith at 680-7758.
The Center for Strategic Governance also hosted a September Conference on Crime Victims that addressed local issues.
“They’re both important,” said Smith. “But there’s no real link between the two, except a few of the same people will be at this event. There will be a different kind of dialogue, a different set of goals.
“This also contemplates people coming in nationally and regionally — from North Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana and a lot of people from all around Florida.”