European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 31, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Seeking Justice for the victims Bys Amseys Cox news service there was a time when Barbara Johnson thought a person could avoid being a crime victim if you were really careful an cautious she said. But then her grandmother was raped and murdered Al her Home in Decatur. Ga., and since then Johnson s life has l Boon the same. Crime changes everybody s life whether you re the actual victim or a secondary victim Tike i was. Life is never going to be the same. That s not to say it can l be Good again but it s not going to be Good in the same Way. You re never Ever going to shed  Johnson s secondary victimization propelled her into a life of helping other crime victims As they by to persevere through the Gauntlet of victim italian that begins As soon As the crime itself ends As director of Rockdale county s victim witness assistance program Johnson daily helps victims Cope with lost wages medical Bills disability anger the humiliation of being treated As a piece of evidence and the emotional turmoil that can endure or years. Johnson is a Leader of georgians Tor victim Justice a 2-year-Otd group of advocates thai believes when crime prevention fails the problem of crime becomes the problem of the victim. Despite their efforts though Georgia still lags behind much of the country in Justice for victims. The Besl thing we can do for the victim is prosecute the  has been an Oil heard refrain from Georgia s District attorneys. We Are such a punitive slate. Our main objective is to arrest and convict and punish said Rachel Champagne executive director of the metropolitan Atlanta crime commission. The victim is Only there As  although i is incarceration rate ranked 10th among the 50 Stales in 1986, Georgia is one o Only six slates that does nol provide for the compensation of crime victims. Nor does it fund victims services As 33 other states do. And two of its largest cities Columbus and Augusta do nol have victim witness assistance programs. Other Lilian funding difficulties i Don t know Why it victims assistance has t been More popular Wilh the stale govern Mon. Since in seems to be a Prilly Apple pie sort of thing said Joe droll a Fullon county assistant District attorney and legislative chairman of georgians for victim Justice. A Strong political Leader has Yel to Champion the rights of victims in Georgia but Drolet believes there will eventually be More support on the state level. In this National victim rights week Johnson and other victims advocates wonder when. Johnson along with her daughter was to meet her Mother and grandmother Friday sept. 2.1933, for lunch and an afternoon of shopping. When her Mother and grandmother did not appear at the scheduled Lime and place Johnson drove to her grandmother s House. When i rounded the Corner and saw the emergency vehicles and the yellow tape thai said police line. Do nol Cross around the whole Yard i thought something horrible has happened there s Boon a crime committed and what Good is it going to do in to even catch whoever did this " Eddie Lee Ross 34, was convicted in 19b4 of the murder of Johnson s grandmother Ellen l. Funderburg and Given a death sentence by a Dekalb county jury. Willna year Johnson Conyers ga., resident had become a Volunteer Tor the new victim Wilness assistance program in Rockdale county before another year passed she had been named the program s first director the Rockdale county victim witness assistance program is one of 15 such programs in Georgia. They provide information of referrals for physical financial or emotional support notify victims or witnesses of court Dales prepare victims and witnesses for heir court appearances intervene with employers if victims of witnesses have difficulty getting off work to appear in court help victims or witnesses in they Are of Aid or Are being intimidated by lie dec Danl assist victims in reporting crimes and encourage witnesses to use the judicial system. The Atlanta victim witness assistance program sponsored by the metropolitan Atlanta crime commission and the recipient of $100.000 in City funding annually served More than 2,855 victims and witnesses in 1936. The program identifies its clients from police records through referrals from police or prosecutors and from inquiries Cobb Dekalb and Gwinnett counties also have sunday May 31,19b7 victim witness assistance programs. Like most programs in Georgia they Are operated through the District attorney s office. Funding comes from the county or a Federal Gran i the Lack of stale funding is not considered As critical a deficiency by victim advocates however As is a Lack of compensation. Georgia end Mussle Lippl Are the Only Southern Stales without compensation for crime victims. Vermont new Hampshire Maine and South Dakota Are the others three of Georgia s neighbors Alabama South Carolina and Florida have Strong programs for victim compensator which was pioneered by California 22 years ago. Under most compensation programs a crime victim can file a claim to cover medical costs lost wages funeral costs and other losses excluding lost properly resulting irom the crime. Each stale has a financial Cap on How much can be claimed. The Caps Fange rom $2.000 to $45.000, with the average being Between s20.000 and $25,000. A lot of victims Are out of work for several weeks a lot of people get fired because they can t come Back to work said Sands and a lot of the people we see Are indigents. We had a homicide not Loo Long ago and the family needed Money just for burial. So they passed the hat at  Georgia is one of 10 Stales that have not adopted a crime victim s Bill of rights a series of statutes designed to protect and Aid the victim within the judicial system however Georgia has adopted some o the Laws that Are often included in a Bill of rights " victims or witnesses cannot be fired by employers for missing work because of court appearances. Victims Are allowed to give the judge before sentencing a written victim Impact statement detailing How they have been Allec Ted by the crime. The judge does not have to consider the statement however. Victims Are to to notified before their attacker is paroled. Victims May be allowed to remain in the courtroom before and after their testimony according to the discretion of the judge the safety of the victim and the victim s Amily is Lobo considered when setting bail. As a condition of parole or probation a defendant May be required o pay restitution to the victim. The stars and stripes Page 17