Healing Justice Project

HEALING JUSTICE, WITH ASSISTANCE FROM THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME (NCVC) AND OTHER NATIONAL PARTNERS, SEEKS TO ADDRESS THE GAP IN POST-CONVICTION VICTIM SUPPORT WITH THE CREATION OF THE SAFE, CENTRALIZED, AND MOBILE-FRIENDLY POST-CONVICTION ONLINE RESOURCE CENTER (PCRC). UNDERSTANDABLY, THE POST-CONVICTION SETTING CAN BE DEEPLY CONFUSING AND CONCERNING TO VICTIMS, AND OFTEN THEY CANNOT FIND ANYWHERE TO GET THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED OR NEEDS MET. CURRENTLY, THERE IS A DEARTH OF POST-CONVICTION SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS NATIONWIDE. GENERALLY, IF A VICTIM REGISTERS FOR CONTINUING NOTIFICATION POST-CONVICTION, THEY WILL BE CONTACTED ABOUT VERY SPECIFIC ACTIVITY: INITIAL HOUSING LOCATIONS, PROJECTED RELEASE DATES, COURT RULINGS AFFECTING SENTENCE LENGTH, HEARINGS RELATING TO PAROLE AND PARDONS, ESCAPES FROM INSTITUTIONAL CUSTODY AND APPREHENSION, ASSIGNMENTS TO WORK PROGRAMS AND RELEASE FROM PRISON BY ANY MEANS, INCLUDING DEATH. IN ADDITION, ADVOCACY UNITS BASED AT STATE DEPARTMENTS OF CORRECTIONS MAY PROVIDE SAFETY PLANNING AND OTHER DIRECT VICTIM ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT AROUND RELEASE. HOWEVER, VICTIMS RARELY IF EVER RECEIVE CONSISTENT OR SUFFICIENT INFORMATION AND SUPPORT AROUND ALL OF THE OTHER CONTINUING POST-CONVICTION ACTIVITY IN THEIR CASES - AN ACUTE GAP THAT IS EXPANDING RAPIDLY AS INCREASINGLY MORE CONVICTIONS AND SENTENCES ARE ALTERED BY PROSECUTOR CONVICTION REVIEW UNITS (CRUS). IN JUST THE PAST FIVE YEARS, MORE THAN 50 CRUS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED THROUGHOUT THE U.S. TO REVIEW CONVICTIONS AND SENTENCES IN CASES LONG THOUGHT TO BE RESOLVED. THESE CASES MAY RESULT IN OVERTURNING CONVICTIONS BASED ON OFFICIAL MISCONDUCT, GRANTING EARLY RELEASE OR CLEMENCY, SHORTENING SENTENCES, OR EXONERATING INDIVIDUALS BASED ON FACTUAL INNOCENCE. WHILE THESE ACTIONS ARE IMPORTANT TO ADDRESSING SYSTEMIC FAILURES AND INEQUITIES, IN EACH OF THESE CASES, THERE ARE CRIME VICTIMS, SURVIVORS, AND FAMILY MEMBERS (VICTIMS) WHOSE LIVES ARE UPENDED AND SHATTERED ANEW. VICTIMS MUST HAVE ACCESS TO POST-CONVICTION INFORMATION, SERVICES, AND SUPPORT TO PREVENT COMPOUNDING THE HARM AND TRAUMA THEY HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED. THE PCRC WILL BE A UNIQUE ONLINE RESOURCE CENTER WHERE ALL VICTIMS CAN FIND CRITICAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE POST-CONVICTION PROCESS, GET THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND CONCERNS ADDRESSED, AND, IF DESIRED, CONNECT DIRECTLY WITH A TRAINED VICTIM SERVICES SPECIALIST FOR INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPORT. THE SPECIALIZED INFORMATION AND RESOURCES PROVIDED, ALONG WITH THE OPPORTUNITY FOR DIRECT SUPPORT WILL NOT ONLY HELP MEET THE WIDESPREAD NEEDS OF VICTIMS IN THE POST-CONVICTION SETTING, BUT IT WILL ALSO HELP VICTIMS BETTER ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES THROUGHOUT THEIR ENTIRE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM.

IN CASES OF VIOLENT CRIME, CASE ACTIVITY CAN CONTINUE LONG AFTER A CONVICTION AND OFTEN FOR THE DURATION OF THE OFFENDER’S CONFINEMENT OR SUPERVISION WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. RARELY, HOWEVER, ARE VICTIMS PROVIDED WITH DETAILS ABOUT THE FULL SCOPE AND LENGTH OF POST-CONVICTION CASE ACTIVITY, LEAVING THEM UNPREPARED FOR THE VARIETY OF POTENTIALLY RE-TRAUMATIZING CASE ACTIVITY POST-CONVICTION, INCLUDING EARLY OFFENDER RELEASE. MOREOVER, PROSECUTION AGENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE PETITIONING COURTS TO OVERTURN CONVICTIONS, REDUCE SENTENCES, AND RELEASE OFFENDERS THROUGH CONVICTION AND SENTENCE REVIEW UNITS AS PART OF NATIONWIDE EFFORTS TO ADDRESS INEQUITIES IN SENTENCING AND REDUCE MASS INCARCERATION, AMONG OTHER CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM GOALS. WHILE THESE GOALS AND EFFORTS ARE IMPORTANT TO ADDRESSING SYSTEMIC UNFAIRNESS AND INEQUITIES, CRIME VICTIMS IN THESE CASES ARE OFTEN FORGOTTEN WHEN IT COMES TO HONORING THEIR RIGHTS AND AFFORDING SERVICES, CREATING A DIRE NEED TO ADDRESS THE DEARTH OF POST-CONVICTION VICTIM SERVICES AND ENSURE THAT VICTIMS DO NOT CONTINUE TO BE OVERLOOKED POST-CONVICTION. THE RAPID INCREASE IN CONVICTION AND SENTENCE REVIEW UNITS CREATE A DIRE NEED TO ADDRESS THE DEARTH OF POST-CONVICTION VICTIM SERVICES AND ENSURE THAT VICTIMS DO NOT CONTINUE TO BE OVERLOOKED. THE PROJECT WILL FOCUS ON VICTIMS WHOSE CASE CONVICTIONS OR SENTENCES ARE BEING RECONSIDERED POST-CONVICTION BY SPECIALIZED CONVICTION OR SENTENCING REVIEW UNITS, AND THE ATTORNEYS, AND ALLIED PROFESSIONALS CHARGED WITH SERVICE DELIVERY IN THESE CASES. HEALING JUSTICE, WITH ASSISTANCE FROM PROJECT PARTNERS, THE NATIONAL CRIME VICTIM LAW INSTITUTE AND THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF VICTIM ASSISTANCE, AIMS TO ADDRESS THIS UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY OF VICTIMS BY CREATING A COMPREHENSIVE FOUNDATION FOR POST-CONVICTION VICTIM SERVICE INTERVENTIONS. LESSONS LEARNED, RESOURCES CREATED, AND RECOMMENDATIONS DEVELOPED WILL BE APPLICABLE TO POST-CONVICTION VICTIM SERVICES MORE BROADLY. THIS WILL BE ACHIEVED BY: (1) PROVIDING OVERARCHING RECOMMENDATIONS, TRAINING, AND MODELS FOR POST-CONVICTION SERVICE DELIVERY AROUND THE COUNTRY, AND; (2) IMPLEMENTING AND PILOTING TAILORED TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN SELECT JURISDICTIONS IN WHICH ACTIVE CONVICTION AND SENTENCE REVIEW IS OCCURRING. SHORT- AND LONG-TERM OUTCOMES INCLUDE CENTERING THE VOICES OF CRIME VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS, DEVELOPING TOOLS, RESOURCES, TRAINING, AND PARTNERSHIPS TO EXPAND POST-CONVICTION VICTIM SERVICES, AND BUILDING UPON PREVIOUSLY FUNDED WORK BY THE OFFICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME AND NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CORRECTIONS.

RESPONDING TO ORIGINAL VICTIMS IN WRONGFUL CONVICTION CASES