SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 368

WHEREAS, Members of the state chapter of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice are gathering in Austin on March 30, 2023, for Survivors Speak Texas Day at the State Capitol; and

WHEREAS, A flagship project of the Alliance for Safety and Justice, Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice is a national organization that promotes public safety policies that reduce incarceration and increase investments in crime prevention, trauma recovery, and rehabilitation; with chapters in several states across the country, the group also provides opportunities for survivors to participate in support groups and community organizing; and

WHEREAS, Because more than half of violent crimes are estimated to go unreported, and few survivors receive direct assistance from a victim service agency, many people face long-term, debilitating effects without appropriate support; Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice helps to bridge these gaps in victim services, as well as to offer guidance to policy makers on evidence-based practices to protect victims and reduce incidents of violent crime; and

WHEREAS, Each year during National Crime Victims' Rights Week, Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice holds its Survivors Speak event, which brings together crime survivors and their loved ones to advocate for safety and justice policy reforms, particularly in communities with high rates of crime; since its inception, the event has grown into a yearlong movement that culminates in a National Healing Vigil Day of Action, with events in more than two dozen cities around the country; and

WHEREAS, Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice is playing an important role in helping the people and communities most harmed by crime and violence, and all those associated with the organization are indeed deserving of commendation for their tireless advocacy; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th Legislature, hereby recognize March 30, 2023, as Survivors Speak Texas Day at the State Capitol and extend to the staff and volunteers of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice sincere appreciation for their efforts; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be prepared for the organization as an expression of high regard from the Texas Senate.

Zaffirini

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on March 30, 2023.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate