Glen Meadows Park dedication kicks off Victims’ Rights Week

By Diane Saunders, Staff Writer
Published on Tuesday, April 24, 2007 10:18 AM MST

Inmates in Arizona’s state prisons have raised $200,000 so far this year for the Arizona Department of Corrections’ Restorative Justice Program, said Karyn Lathan, the ADOC’s Restorative Justice coordinator.

Inmates also provided labor valued at $60,000 for restorative justice projects throughout the state.

Lathan was one of several speakers for the Glen Meadows Memorial Park dedication ceremony Saturday, which kicked off Victims’ Rights Week in Safford, which will run through April 28. The park is near the intersection of Discovery Park Boulevard and 14th Avenue on Safford’s south side.

The event was sponsored by the ADOC, the Eastern Arizona College, The Home Depot, city of Safford, the Victim/Witness program and Stand Against Violence Everywhere committee, known as SAVE.

The ceremony included cutting the ribbon to a new play port built by inmates from the Arizona State Prison-Safford. Prison inmates held a food fund-raiser to purchase about $4,000 worth of materials for the project, and The Home Depot contributed $1,000 worth of materials.

Crystal Reidy, state victims’ rights trainer for the office of Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, said not only do crime victims suffer consequences — their families also suffer. For example, a child may have to leave home because her parents are bankrupted by medical bills, or a college student could be forced to drop out of school because his mother has post-traumatic stress disorder and can no longer work.

“Very few people know you do have rights if you are a crime victim,” Reidy said.

Lathan said the impacts of crime are far-reaching, and the DOC wants inmates to take responsibility for what they have done.

“Statewide, we have inmates giving back to victims and victims organizations,” she said.

Lathan said Arizona had a restorative justice program when Dora Shriro became director of the ADOC. Shriro enhanced the program, and the number of projects began to increase about two years ago.

Other speakers included Arizona State Prison-Safford Deputy Warden Lyle Broadhead, District 5 Rep. Bill Konopnicki, Safford Vice Mayor J.T. Cotter and Douglas Christie, coordinator of the Eastern Arizona College education program at the prison.

After the speeches, several individuals and organizations were recognized for their efforts in victims’ rights.

According to 2007 National Crime Victims’ Resource Guide, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Victims’ Rights Week in April 1981.

Since 1974, more than 30 federal victims’ rights legislations have been signed into law, according to the resource guide.

Comments

13 comment(s)

    Tricia Wenzl wrote on Sep 20, 2008 4:32 PM:

    " Re: Eve Batchelder murder-2006. I personally knew Eve as did many of my other co-workers and we were appalled that her confessed murderer was allowed to plead to a lesser charge (obviously) to escape the death penalty. This was a pre-meditated murder and kidnapping, resulting in the death of a wonderful, gentle soul not to mention leaving her two children without their mother! Jason Martinez does not deserve to live at the expense of the taxpayers with the chance that he could be paroled! Society cannot afford to be "soft" for the fear of peer pressure. "

    ciara wrote on Jul 17, 2008 9:06 PM:

    " hi i would like to know what time the pool opens "

    Warnar Moll Amsterdam The Netherlands wrote on Jul 14, 2008 11:20 AM:

    " I agree with Rustom Kevala.
    In literature there are many scientific indications that the preparation of the sacred liquid (Haoma),could not contain a Hallucinogen-Entheogen drug (cf publications of Harry Falk, Jan Houben, Frits Staal and the late Mary Boyce).
    As a plant-physiologist and toxicologian, I did some study about the preparation of Parahom (as described in Avesta). From the scientic point of view it is impossible that the sacred drink is hallucinogen.
    I do not understand the arguments of the Pima's Church of Cognizance.
    It is as stupid as the assert: Jesus used Marihuana. "

    tom wrote on Apr 19, 2008 3:15 PM:

    " if having someone go through something like especially a child is not an invasion of privacy then nothing is but then thats the 9th circus for you "

    F THE SYSTEM!!! wrote on Feb 14, 2008 9:15 AM:

    " Who cares about ibuprofen anyways! its just a pill that peopel take for headaches and aches who cares about what the school system. If someone suffers from chronic headaches and stuff like that they should be allowed to carry it around. IT was a bad thing to distribute it around to others, but they should be able to keep it anyway. Its not like teachers are all that willing to let students out of the classroom just because of a headache!!! SMS should be sued. Strip searching a student like that should NOT BE ALLOWED!!!! "

    LaVae McClellan wrote on Feb 5, 2008 1:51 PM:

    " Eric and Kevin Yazzie are my brothers, they always will be. Yeah its true they had a history of fighting, but thats all u see. The Eric and Kevin i know are happy and fun loving, make everybody laugh. I miss kevin, but theres nothing we can do for him now. As for Eric they need to let my brother go already "

    joe tapia wrote on Dec 9, 2007 8:05 PM:

    " I have spent half of my life in this canyon along with my cusion juan luepke and I would like to know what threats to the public that our gate is causing. there is another way into the canyon then through our property. Just before you get to the cobra guest ranch on klondyke rd take the tully springs\old aravaipa town turn follow for about 4 miles there is a side road just after the second cattle guard the road turns east you have to open a few gates but there not locked. "

    JOE TAPIA wrote on Dec 9, 2007 12:11 AM:

    " THE ROAD THAT EVERY ONE HAS USED FOR THE LAST 20-30 YEARS, Is owned by my family. as I have been told to me by my father that the b.l.m and nature conseverency asked to use our road because their easement down by the river kept getting washed out by floods.So when norma put the gate up the b.l.m asked the conservency to redo the road by the river again conservency said no way. By,joe tapia "

    Katelynn Nichols wrote on Dec 7, 2007 5:34 PM:

    " Clifford Bea Fowler is My uncle ans my cousin Kelci's dad he may be a white supremeist but he still loves his daughter.But he should be held responsible for his actions. "

    Stephen wrote on Nov 30, 2007 8:57 AM:

    " My thoughts and prayer's go out to the late Bobby Bell's family. "

    SMSmom wrote on Nov 9, 2007 12:11 PM:

    " I will be notified if my child is in so much trouble that he may need to be stripped searched. "Depending on circumstances"--NO I WILL BE NOTIFIED!!! TRY ME!!! "

    Keisha wrote on Oct 27, 2007 8:03 PM:

    " I'm sure if these guys were a threat to society action would of been taken. I'm not condoning such behavior but Linda sounds like she's up to no good. "

    linda wrote on Oct 26, 2007 11:59 AM:

    " Is there any way to post the photos of these molesters "in" the schools so that the children and school staff may detect any possible molesters? After all they are the ones who would most likely see them. "

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