General Crime Victim Advocacy

1. General Crime Victim Advocacy Julia Tindell (she/her) Minnesota Alliance on Crime

2. What is the Minnesota Alliance on Crime? • Statewide general crime coalition • Mission • Who and where are our members?

3. What does the Minnesota Alliance on Crime do? • Training and technical assistance • Information and resource materials • Networking opportunities • Public policy and legislation

4. Crime victim services in Minnesota: Overview Community-based services General crime Crime-specific (MADD, Survivor Resources) Dual-service (even tri-service) Legal services Issue or population specific • Domestic violence • Shelters • Community advocacy • Criminal justice intervention • Sexual assault • Human trafficking • Child victims

5. Crime victim services in Minnesota Government-based services • Also known as system-based • Prosecutor’s office victim/witness advocates • Majority of general crime advocates in this role in Minnesota • Law enforcement • Community corrections/probation • Department of Corrections • Tribal-based victim services • Coming up: Bureau of Criminal Apprehension

6. The hierarchy of advocacy

7. Roles of advocates Government-Based • Includes crimes reported to LE, charged by prosecution • Insider knowledge and access • Weight of the government • Relationship not confidential • Confidentiality, investigations • Accountability focused • Refer victims to community-based agencies & explain which provide confidential services Community-Based • Includes crimes reported AND unreported • Outsider knowledge and resources • Not aligned with government • Privilege • Long-term focus • Safety focus – 24 hour crisis line, shelter • Specialized community-based agencies (immigration, legal resources, culturally specific, LGBTQ, elder abuse, etc.) This slide courtesy of Bree Adams Bill, St. Paul and Ramsey County Domestic Abuse Intervention Project

8. When roles get too rigid Scenario: You work as a victim service professional in a prosecutor’s office. A victim of burglary contacts your office, generally overwhelmed and concerned for their family’s safety. Law enforcement has made no arrests and the prosecutor’s office does not have this case for charges. What should you do? What actually happens? What is the impact on victims?

9. When roles get too rigid Scenario: You’re a community-based advocate working in a dual domestic and sexual violence program. A victim contacts you because they were physically assaulted yesterday by their roommate’s friend. The victim called the police, but the friend was just told to leave the home. There is no general crime program in your area. What should you do? What actually happens? What is the impact on victims?

10. Roles of advocates In the end: ALL advocates have equal power to…

11. Types of general crimeNot all-inclusive • Assault • Arson • Burglary • Identity theft • Scams • Fraud • Forgery • Financial crime • Property damage • Vandalism

12. Types of general crimeNot all inclusive • Robbery • Theft • Motor vehicle theft • Homicide • Terroristic threats/threats of violence • Harassment • Hate/bias crime • DUI/DWI incidents • Other vehicular victimization • Hit and run • Criminal vehicular operation • Criminal vehicular homicide

13. Question: What percentage of Minnesotans were crime victims in 2015, according to the Office of Justice Programs?

14. 94% did not seek victim services Of those: 75.4% didn’t think they needed it 3% didn’t know about available services 2.8% had prior bad experience 0.6% received services from elsewhere 0.5% had no way to call in or access services via the internet ~6% other

15. Hierarchy of Crime:the National Uniform Crime Report aka Crime Index • Murder • Forcible Rape • Robbery • Aggravated Assault • Arson • Burglary • Larceny-theft • Motor Vehicle Theft

16. Scenario: Car Theft Imagine your car was stolen from the parking lot. • What are you feeling? • How are you going to get home tonight? • How is this going to impact your week? Calculate: How much time, money, and emotional distress is this going to cost you?

17. Why is there a need for assistance for victims of all crime types? • Failure to address impact of crime on victims can fuel social problems • It fails to interrupt the patterns of violence and abuse that perpetuate criminal behavior • Some victims move on with their lives with relative ease • Others experience continuing trauma without services and support

18. Why is there a need for assistance for victims of all crime types? • Trauma is trauma is trauma • Harm experienced by a crime victim different than trauma from accidents, illness, natural disaster, etc. • Intentional acts of cruelty or negligence • Another human being deliberately chose to harm another, or intentionally stole or damaged property

19. Trauma is trauma is trauma… Emotional Response • Fear, anxiety, embarrassment, helplessness • Emotional dysregulation: Difficulty understanding and regulating emotions, feeling overwhelmed or numb Physical • Somatization • Hyperarousal and sleep disturbance

20. Trauma is trauma is trauma… Cognitive: • Cognitive errors • Excessive or inappropriate guilt • Intrusive thoughts Behavioral: • Avoidance • Self medicating

21. Why is there a need for assistance for victims of all crime types? • Trauma is defined by the experience of the survivor • Not possible to make blanket generalizations such as X is traumatic for all who go through it and they will need Y as a result.

22. Credit: Inspired by Impact Wheel by Laura Williams, from MNCASA's  Sexual Violence in Minnesota: A Resource Manual for Advocates, originally published in 2007

23. Advocating for victims of general crime • General crime = Minnesota term • Regardless of the type of offense, each and victimization brings unique circumstances: • May not follow a predictable and orderly model • May not respond to a specific technique of intervention • There is no “one size, fits all”

24. Advocating for victims of general crime • Direction and focus of advocacy, needs, and/or safety strategies may be influenced by: • Victim’s experience of the crime and its impact • Influences in victim’s life/specific life circumstances • Cultural/ethnic/religious background and needs of victim

25. Advocating for victims of general crime Help victims assess: • Where they are • Where they want to go • How to get there • Safety planning

26. Location, location, location • Departments within different jurisdictions may vary in their policies and procedures • Do your homework

27. Why collaborate? • Victim-centered services • Victim safety and self-sufficiency • Holding offenders accountable • Building strong relationships among agencies

28. Community Connections Exercise Who are the following players in the community you serve? • Prosecution • Law enforcement • Courts • Corrections • Advocacy • Social services • Housing What is one thing you can do to connect with each of the above?

29. General crime resources Minnesota Crime Victim Support Line Statewide phone and text support for victims of general crime. Voice: 1-866-385-2699 | Text: 612-399-9977 General Crime Victim Services Advocacy for general crime victims. In-person advocacy for Hennepin County but also provides statewide phone advocacy. General crime victims can also access emergency funds directly from them. 612-767-9844

30. Register at: www.mnallianceoncrime.org

31. Register at: www.mnallianceoncrime.org

32. Comments and questions? Minnesota Alliance On Crime (MAC) 1 West Water Street, Suite 260 St. Paul, MN 55107 612-940-8090 www.mnallianceoncrime.org • Bobbi Holtberg, Executive Director: bobbi@mnallianceoncrime.org • Danielle Kluz, Program Manager—Training & Engagement: danielle@mnallianceoncrime.org • Julia Tindell, Program Manager—Training & Special Projects: julia@mnallianceoncrime.org • AmeeKrogfus, Program Manager—Operations: amee@mnallianceoncrime.org