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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Survivors Speak Illinois is organized by Crime
3Survivors for Safety and Justice and the Alliance for Safety
4and Justice; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Crime and violence can harm any individual and
6community, regardless of age, national origin, race, creed,
7religion, gender, sexual orientation, immigration, or economic
8status; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Most crime survivors do not receive the help they
10need; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Only nine percent of all victims of violence
12receive direct assistance from a victim service agency; this
13drops further when the crime is unreported, which is the case
14for more than half of all violent crimes; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Despite the fact that we have built our criminal
16justice in the name of victims, it is simply not designed or
17currently equipped to serve them or address most of their
18needs; this experience compounds the trauma that comes with
19victimization and is particularly severe for many victims of
20color, particularly Black victims; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Through their experiences, crime survivors are
2uniquely qualified to provide essential input and influence in
3discussions of public safety and criminal justice policy; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Illinois must address the immediate safety
5concerns facing families and invest in a long-term,
6comprehensive plan to address root causes of violence; and
 
7    WHEREAS, The voices and experiences of survivors are too
8often ignored, leading to poor policy and justice system
9decisions that fail to meet the needs of survivors or stop the
10cycle of crime; and
 
11    WHEREAS, State support for trauma recovery centers that
12play a critical role and provide critical resources for
13survivors impacted by crime is necessary; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Crime survivors understand existing gaps to
15recovery and how to bridge them; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Survivors want a system of justice and safety
17that prioritizes prevention, rehabilitation, and trauma
18recovery; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Illinois needs to invest in programs that provide
20assistance to crime victims and their families to effectively

 

 

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1deal with the inherent trauma and residual effects of
2violence; therefore, be it
 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
4HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
5we declare April 20, 2023 as "Survivors Speak Illinois Day";
6and be it further
 
7    RESOLVED, That we commend the survivors and advocates of
8Survivors Speak Illinois for their work to stop violence and
9help those impacted by it; and be it further
 
10    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
11presented to Survivors Speak Illinois as a symbol of our
12respect and esteem.