Update: First Days of National Crime Victims' Rights Week Underway!
The past few days have been really busy here at Marsy’s Law. We started off National Crime Victims Rights Week at the Day of Healing in Madison, Wisconsin. This event, which was hosted by Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault (WCASA), was awe-inspiring. Throughout the day I was able to take part in a number of sessions offering a range of experiences for survivors and allies alike. In the morning in the first breakout session, I was able to listen to survivors of crime talk about their experiences and how they cope with the most traumatic events in their past. It was incredibly moving to listen to the stories of these survivors and how they each experienced the healing process in their own ways. In the second session I was part of, we learned techniques on how to the improve the work-life balance of our daily lives and how to take care of your own well-being.
The second part of the day was focused on the Wrap around the Capitol, an annual event hosted by WCASA. Pairs of jeans encircled the Rotunda at the State Capital that symbolized the victims of sexual assault and abuse. Each pair of jeans had messages written on them for participants to see. It was gut-wrenching to see a few pairs of children’s jeans there as well to symbolize that even children can be victims of these horrendous crimes. The event was a powerful visual of the kinds of stories that we at the Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin team hear from so many survivors who have joined the effort to strengthen the rights of crime victims. The event concluded with high school speakers talking about their work in stopping sexual abuse and sexual assault as well as their experiences as victims of assault themselves.
On Monday of this week, our field team had the pleasure of speaking at the Women’s Correctional Facility in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. These women provided a unique perspective and we were happy to discuss with them what Marsy’s Law is all about. Some of them shared their own experiences of how they themselves were victims of crime at some point. They also spoke about how Marsy’s Law would help future crime victims and how some of the changes included in the Constitutional Amendment would help victims who want to be more involved in the legal process.
Our team has been honored to have the opportunity to meet so many survivors and hear their stories. We were also thrilled to see the show of support for our state’s crime victims from Wisconsin’s executive residence, which has been lit purple for National Crime Victims’ Rights Week!
We’re so grateful to have enjoyed so much support from around the state already this week, and we’re looking forward to closing out Crime Victims’ Rights Week with a big announcement and even more opportunities for survivors to tell their stories!
Matthew Johnson
Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin
Field Representative