WHEREAS, victims of crime deserve understanding, compassion, and respect when engaging with service providers and the criminal justice system; and

WHEREAS, recognizing that trauma from violent crime is an epidemic and that, for this reason, it is essential to take a public health approach that encourages collective action from the entire community; and

WHEREAS, victims of crime are often underserved or unserved due to language barriers, economic limitations, disabilities, or location, and face numerous barriers to accessing supportive and accommodating services; and

WHEREAS, victims with disabilities should be treated with dignity and respect and have access to inclusive community resources; and

WHEREAS, all victims of crime should have access to services that are culturally-competent and meaningfully address their diverse needs; and

WHEREAS, the victim’s trust in the compassion, understanding, and support of their communities is achieved through sustained, deep-rooted, and coordinated efforts to bring healing and justice to all victims of crime—especially those who traditionally have been underrepresented and underserved; and

WHEREAS, victim advocates do lifesaving work that impacts the wellbeing of victims of crime, and should be valued for their dedicated service; and

WHEREAS, crime victims, prior to sentencing of an offender, may have the right to make the courts aware of the impact of a crime through the Victim Impact Statement; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services provides financial support, training, and technical assistance to a multitude of victim service providers across the Commonwealth, in an effort to ensure that all victims be supported;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize April 24–30, 2022, as CRIME VICTIMS’ RIGHTS WEEK in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.