by Merissa Pimenta | Feb 14, 2020 | Uncategorized
The Community Relations Service (CRS) is a conciliation service with the U.S Department of Justice available to State and local officials to help resolve and prevent racial and ethnic conflict, violence and civil disorder. When governors, mayors, police chiefs, school superintendents and community organizations need help to defuse racial or ethnic crises, they turn to CRS.
It is important to mention that CRS is a third party which provides services upon request and that CRS does not have law enforcement authority and does not impose solutions, investigate or prosecutes cases, or assign blame or fault. CRS conciliators are required by law to conduct activities in confidence and are prohibited from disclosing confidential information.
CRS has helped schools to build strategies to improve lines of communication, establish programs to eliminate racial and ethnic misconceptions, and develop plans to prevent conflict and improve intergroup relations among students, faculty, staff, parents and community groups.
More than 15 years ago, a CRS conciliator recognized the value of student problem solving for racial issues and created the SPIRIT program. Since then, CRS has applied the principles of mediation, problem solving, and full engagement of the school community, to help improve the racial climate of schools. SPIRIT brings students, administrators, teachers, and parents together to identify issues, develop solutions, and take action on conflicts within their schools.
CRS was invited to facilitate the Student Problem Identification and Resolution of Issues Together (SPIRIT) program at South Anchorage High School. Approximately 85 students from diverse backgrounds were invited to be a part of the two half-day duration of the program along with 10 facilitators (former teachers, non-profit employees, members of the community, VFJ staff member).
You might be wondering what the benefits of this program are. One of the biggest things the SPIRIT Program helps students realize, is they have the power to identify and solve problems. Not only do they realize that amongst their diverse backgrounds they may face different issues, but they discover commonalities.
Day 1 of the SPIRIT Program: Students met with facilitators in separate homogeneous breakout groups to name issues and elect representatives from each group to be on the SPIRIT Student Advisory Team. This is a very big moment for students, as they have to have uncomfortable conversations about tensions in the school. In the second half of the day, all students listen to reports on issues from each group and vote on priority issues. This is where they have their “aha” moment and realize they have many commonalities and care for similar causes.
Day 2 of the SPIRIT Program: Students were presented with the voting results and then proceeded to meet in heterogeneous breakout groups and brainstorm on solutions. This is the part where students can be proactive and engage in problem solving. At the end of the day 2, all students report (staff may be present for support) on solutions and the SPIRIT Student Advisory Team is introduced.
If you are interested in the SPIRIT Program being conducted in your school, here are some of the prerequisites:
• The school staff must be willing to identify natural student leaders who will participate in the program for one half day for two consecutive days.
• The principal must agree to meet with the SPIRIT council on its work plan at least on a monthly basis.
• The faculty should be open to the SPIRIT program and the development of a student work plan. (CRS will brief the faculty before conducting the program).
• The school must identify and make available facilitators to assist in conducting the program.
• The program should be conducted “ideally” no later than February in the school year.
Call (202) 305-2935.
Community Relations Service, DOJ, https://www.justice.gov/crs/our-work/facilitation/school-spirit
by Merissa Pimenta | Dec 6, 2019 | Uncategorized
Someone you love has been murdered, or was killed by a drunk driver. It is an understatement to say that your life has been changed. Your anger and pain are deep, and it will take a great deal of hard work and time to recover. You may never feel as if you have “recovered.” It may be difficult to believe now, but many persons who have been in your situation learn to manage their grief. You will need time, determination, and the support of a caring listener. The feelings you experience are likely to be very difficult and foreign for you, but most likely, they will be similar to what others have felt. This guide was written to help you, as the survivor of a homicide victim, cope with the fears and anxiety of losing someone close to you.
How to cope with the Holidays?
Holidays can be an extremely difficult time for you. They are usually an accumulation of traditions or customs created by families to be shared with family members. When a member of the family is no longer there to share a cherished tradition, the holiday can become a painful reminder instead of a time of joy. The first time you celebrate a holiday after a death, it may become a nightmare. Holiday gifts that once were ripped open immediately may sit for days. Thanksgiving is hollow. “What do I have to be thankful for?” is a common reaction for the survivor. New Year’s Day and birthdays, which celebrate another year of life, become reminders of death. You may find the need to develop new traditions. For some, a trip out of town at holiday time may be beneficial. A birthday can be observed by donating to a charitable organization or doing something that is meaningful to you. Sometimes being with other family members and talking together about the good times experienced in the past can be a source of strength. There is no rule to follow on how to “get through” a holiday. You will grieve. Allow yourself to grieve. It’s all part of the healing process.
What are some examples of self-care?
- Positive Affirmations – Each day (or in stressful situations) think through some kind thoughts about yourself and your life. Remind yourself that you have taken steps to care for yourself that might seem easy but are very important, like taking a shower, getting out of bed, or going for a walk.
- Relaxation Exercises – Anything from breathing techniques to practicing meditation and creating bedtime routine can help to create a relaxing environment to heal and reflect.
- Channeling pain into creativity – Taking up activities like poetry writing, short stories, journaling, drawing or dance serve as outlets to release and process emotions that might otherwise be overwhelming.
- Physical Self-Care – Getting up and moving your body in a way that feels good to you can change your whole mood. If you’re not a person who loves the gym, you can go for a walk with a friend, do some stretches, or dance at home to some feel good music.
- Know and communicate your boundaries – Let others around you know up front what is and is not okay for you.
- Ask for help – No one should be expected to go through life alone and everyone needs help from time-to-time. Asking loved ones for help with life feels overwhelming is important.
- Remind yourself it is okay to walk away from situations that are too stressful or triggering.
A guide to survival for family and friends of homicide victims. Office of Victim Services, Montana Department of Justice, p.3. https://dojmt.gov/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/guidesurvival.pdf
by Merissa Pimenta | Nov 15, 2019 | News
We know there have been many efforts to prepare for an event such as an earthquake… but are we prepared for a mass casualty related to terrorism here in Alaska?
Erin Terry, Victim Specialist with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Alaska, tells us about the need for a Mass Casualty Plan in Anchorage and in Alaska as a whole. One of the many things that Victim Specialists’ in the FBI have to do, is have a plan in place in the event that something were to happen in the communities they serve. The “Mass Casualty Plan” allows headquarters (Washington, DC) to back-fill support to the communities the Victim Specialists serve and provide services to the next of kin in a timely manner.
Most of us have heard of the incident on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada on October 2017. A shooter opened fire on the crowd during a Route 91 Harvest Music Festival killing 58 people and leaving 413 wounded. Unfortunately, there were many Alaskans present at the event, two of whom were murdered. According to Erin, 57 Alaskans present at the horrifying event sought FBI assistance. A month after the incident, the FBI field office in Anchorage, organized a gathering providing an opportunity for survivors to talk to each other and build a network of support. According to Erin, this incident prompted the need for a Mass Casualty Plan starting in Anchorage. Alaska is such an isolated State that we don’t have the possibility of counting on neighbor States in the event of such an act of violence.
About 18 months ago, a task force called the Alaska Victim Assistance Partnership was formed. This task-force meets quarterly and the participants are a mixture of victim service agencies, emergency managers, non-profits (VFJ, Arc of Anchorage, Language Interpreter Center, etc,), law enforcement and anyone who is interested in being a part of the group. The goal is to identify the needs that will arise from a mass casualty event and what options are available in the community to meet the victims’ needs.
Erin mentions that one of the challenges that the plan faces is that there are countless possibilities of how someone could choose to terrorize our community and it is difficult to have a perfect plan in place for all of those scenarios. Another one of the challenges, which Erin is actively tackling, is that this a great plan for urban communities but will exponentially be more of a challenge in rural areas due to isolation and lack of resources to provide assistance in a timely manner. She is working on expanding the Alaska Victim Assistance Partnership to areas such as the Mat-Su, Juneau and Fairbanks. Erin hopes to expand to other hubs in the future and shares that the plans overarching goal is for each community to provide support to each other in the event of a mass casualty and all have access to the same information.
Erin Terry. FBI Anchorage, Victim Specialist.
by Merissa Pimenta | Apr 1, 2019 | Uncategorized
Media coverage of crime greatly influences public perceptions about victims. As reporters rush to meet deadlines, particularly in the immediate aftermath of crimes, their reporting may not reflect the desired sensitivity to traumatized victims. Because many reporters do not receive training about how to interact with victims, you have an opportunity to help them approach crime stories with sensitivity.
Tips for Reporters:
In writing news stories about crime, reporters have the difficult task of seeking interviews from victims and conducting those interviews in an ethical manner when victims agree to speak. Advocates can help reporters prepare to speak with victims by offering suggestions about how to approach victims so that they feel comfortable and safe. Educate reporters on how to approach crime victims by sharing the following guidelines.1
Asking for the Interview
- Recognize that the victim may be coping with shock and trauma.
- Approach the victim initially without equipment — notebooks, tape recorders, cameras, and lights — and try to make a human connection.
- Introduce yourself as a reporter, give the victim your name and title, and briefly explain what you hope
- Express concern for the victim by saying, “I am sorry for what happened to you” or “I am sorry for your loss.”
- Ask victims how they would prefer to be addressed, and observe that preference in all of your questions.
- Give the victim a reason to speak with you by explaining the purpose of the story, the fact that it will be published, and why the victim’s participation is important.
- Tell the victim how much time you need and observe that time limit.
- Courteously accept the victim’s refusal if he or she is unwilling to be interviewed.
- If the victim declines, express interest in a future interview, leave a business card, or send an email with your contact information, and ask for the names of others who may be willing to speak.
Logistics and Other Considerations
- Make the victim comfortable — offer a chair or suggest a comfortable, safe place to talk.
- Respect the victim’s space — because people experiencing trauma often do not want to be touched, hand the microphone to the victim and explain how to adjust it.
- Ask permission to record the interview.
- Clarify ground rules — explain that anything the victim says may be used in the interview.
Bonnie Bucqueroux and Anne Seymour, A Guide for Journalists Who Report on Crime and Crime Victims, (Washington, DC: Justice Solutions, 2009), 2–10, accessed
November 20, 2018, www. mediacrimevictimguide.com/journalistguide.pdf.
by Merissa Pimenta | Feb 7, 2019 | Uncategorized
Before we dive into the topic of the tool I want to mention that in late January, Governor Dunleavy introduced SB 33 which seeks to no longer use the risk assessment tool. Also while it would retain pretrial supervision, the Pretrial Enforcement Division (PED) would no longer exists as its own department. Instead the bill would give judges the discretion to decide pretrial terms of their own for the person charged with the crime.
Until/if this bill passes the legislature in current form, Alaska will continue to use the risk assessment tool and the PED will still be their own department. Because of this we still feel it’s important for victims to know how the tool works.
On January 1, 2018 the state of Alaska began using a new pretrial risk assessment tool that calculates whether a defendant is at low, moderate, or high risk for failure to appear in court or to commit another crime if released.
One major reason why this tool was created was to reduce the number of pretrial inmates in Alaska’s prisons, which had grown by 88% from 2004 to 2014.
In order to know how likely an inmate would be a risk factor with Failure to Appear (FTA) the state looks at factors such as age of first arrest, prior FTA warrants, if they have a current property crime and if they currently has a motor vehicle change (non-DUI).
When deciding the risk of an inmate being charged with a New Criminal Arrest (NSA) while out on pretrial release the tool looks at the age of their first arrest, how many arrests they’ve had in the last five years, how many convictions in the last three years, and probation associated with these arrests.
The Pretrial Enforcement Division will use the highest score of the two scales when considering recommendations for the Court.
This information is given to the judge, prosecutors and defense attorneys prior to a bail hearing. Besides the information provided by the pretrial risk assessment tool, the judge is still going to consider statutory guidelines such as the nature and circumstances of the offense, weight of the evidence, family ties, employment, length of residence, conviction record, failure to appear record, danger the defendant poses to the victim, as well as the reputation, character, and mental condition of the offender.
A defendant’s score does not take into account factors such as the charges in a defendant’s case, the possible sentence, any potential harm to the public, weight of evidence, and a defendant’s ties to the community or their personal financial resources.
In June of 2018 HB 312 was signed into law which changed the risk assessment tool for the better, and gave judges more discretion when setting bail terms. Firstly, the law allows judges to consider the defendants out-of-state criminal history. Also, before this law was enacted, part of the risk assessment tool was a mandatory provision that required judges to release defendants charged with either low-risk class-C felonies or low-risk and moderate-risk misdemeanors. The new law allows judges to keep a person in custody for low-level offenses when looking at the available facts on the case.
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