Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson

Passengers on cruise ships headed from or toward American ports will gain increased security, services and rights when the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010 is  implemented thanks to the leadership of a California Congresswoman, vocal survivors and the President of the United States.

On Tues. July 31, the President signed H.R. 3360, the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act, sponsored by Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento). In a press release, the Congresswoman credits “Laurie Dishman, a Sacramento, CA resident and a constituent of Rep. Matsui’s, who wrote to her Representative after being sexually assaulted on a cruise ship – and asked for help. After several Congressional hearings which brought to light the gross inadequacies of current safety requirements on cruise ships, Rep. Matsui introduced H.R. 3360 in the House of Representatives.”

Congresswoman Matsui states that “H.R. 3360 will improve the safety and security of all cruise ship passengers traveling in and out of U.S. waters, and provide common-sense security measures to prevent crimes from occurring – and protections and support for victims and their families if and when they do.”

Also applauding the enactment was Ken Carver, President of International Cruise Victims Association (ICV): “Today marks the beginning of a new accountability for any crimes that are committed against passengers on cruise ships…This came about because a small group of victims joined together four and one-half years ago to form ICV. From just a few families, ICV now has membership in over 20 countries. The lesson learned from this is that no one should ever underestimate the power of organized victims, who all are volunteers, to make changes. The passage of this legislation would not have happened without the dedicated support of Sen. Kerry and Rep. Matsui who joined our efforts to pass this historic legislation. This legislation will protect millions of passengers in the coming years and we are deeply indebted to all of those that help make this happen.”

A brief description of the policies signed into law are as followed:

• Prevention
  • Mandate all passenger and crew cabin doors be equipped with peep holes or other mean of visual identification
  • Mandate all passenger and crew cabin doors be equipped with security latches and time-sensitive key technology
  • Require cruise ships to maintain electronic video surveillance to assist in documenting crimes and provided as evidence for prosecution
    • Video records shall be made available to law enforcement, upon request, during an investigation
  • Cruise operators are mandated to provide a “security guide” to each passenger that describes medical and security personnel designated to prevent and respond to criminal and medical situations within 24-hour contact instructions
    • Security guide will also provide information to passengers on how to report crimes to appropriate US law enforcement REGARDLESS of where the crime is committed (US waters, high seas, in any country visit on the voyage)
    • Security guide must be published on the website of cruise ship owners/operators
  • Limits on Crew Access
    • Vessel owners/operators must implement procedures and restrictions concerning which crewmembers have access to passenger cabins
    • And limit the periods of time crew will have access to passenger cabins
• Intervention
  • Mandate operators/owners to maintain on the vessel adequate, in-date supplies of anti-retroviral medication and other medications designed at preventing STDs
    • required to maintain adequate equipment and materials for performing a rape exam/rape kits to evaluate the patient for trauma, provide medical care, and relevant medical services
  • Vessels are required to make available at all times medical staff (licensed physician or RN) who have undergone a credentialing process
    • Medical staff must have at least 3 years post-graduate/registration clinical practice and emergency medicine
    • Is able to provide assistance in the event of a sexual assault and to conduct rape kit exam
    • Meet guidelines established by the American College of Emergency Physicians related to the treatment and care of SA victims
    • Prepare and provide SA victims with medical documentation of the findings of the exam
    • Required to provide patient with free and immediate access to contact local law enforcement, FBI, Coast Guard, or Embassy or Consulate, and the National Sexual Assault Hotline program or other third party victim advocacy hotline service
    • Required to provide telephone line and internet-accessible computer terminal by which the SA victim may confidentially access law enforcement, attorney and information and support services available through National Sexual Assault Hotline Program or other third party advocacy service
• Victim Privacy
  • Masters of the vessel are required to treat all information, especially medical information, confidential and shall not be released to cruise line or owner of vessel or any legal representative thereof without the prior knowledge and written approval of patient, or patient next-of-kin
  • Exceptions include:
    • information, other than medical findings, shall be included in centralized crime log
    • information to secure the safety of passengers or crew on board the vessel
    • any information to law enforcement official performing official duties in the course of investigation
• Record Keeping
  • All vessels are required to keep a centralized log book of all complaints of crimes and make log book available upon the request to any agent of the FBI, Coast Guard, and law enforcement official performing official duties int he course of investigation
• Reporting
  • Owner/operator of vessel must contact nearest FBI field office or legal attache as soon as possible after the occurrence of specified crime commitment
  • Shall file a report of the incident on an Internet based portal maintained by the Secretary
  • Borderless Reporting
    • Reporting crimes within this measure are applicable regardless of vessel registry and if the vessel is owned in whole or in part, by a US person/corporation, regardless of the nationality of the victim if committed within the maritime jurisdiction of the US
    • if the offense of concern is committed by or against a US national outside of the jurisdiction of any nation
    • if the offense of concern occurs in the Territorial Sea of the US
    • if the offense of concern is committed by or against a US national on a vessel during a voyage that departed from or will arrive at a US port
• Information
  • Secretary shall maintain a statistical compilation of all incidents on an Internet site that provides numerical accounting of missing persons or alleged crimes.
  • Data shall be updated quarterly and each cruise line shall be identified by name, and each crime shall be identified as to whether the crime was committed by a passenger or crew member
  • Cruise lines taking in or discharging passengers in the US shall provide a Internet website link to Federal database on their website
• Staff training/certification
  • The Secretary shall issue guidelines, training curricula, and inspection and certification procedures within 6 months of enactment of Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010
  • Within 1 year of enactment the Secretary and director of FBI shall develop training standards and curricula for security personnel, crewmembers, and law enforcement officials on the appropriate methods of prevention, detection, evidence preservation, and reporting of criminal activities in international waters.
    • This act also establishes minimum standards in which this training must adhere on page 8 Section 3508(b).
  • Beginning 2 years after these standards are established, no ship may enter US port or carry a US citizen as a passenger unless there is at least 1 crewmember onboard who is certified as having successfully completed training in prevention, detection, evidence preservation, and reporting of criminal activities
• The Act also lists a litany of penalties if any of these sections are violated by ship operators/owners.

Let us know what your thoughts are concerning the signing of the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act.

Recently, the International Association of Forensic Nurses‘ (IAFN) newsletter, On the Edge, featured an article about CALCASA and the work we do in their Education and Training section. IAFN is an international membership organization comprised of forensic nurses working around the world and other professionals who support and compliment the work of forensic nursing. The mission of the IAFN is to provide leadership in forensic nursing practice by developing, promoting, and disseminating information internationally about forensic nursing science. To access the article, click here.

The author and editor of the article, Diana Faugno, is a founding member of IAFN and serves as a staff nurse at the Eisenhower Medical Center SART team. Diane shares why she decided to highlight CALCASA in this issue of On the Edge:

CALCASA is an organization that I will frequently call upon if I am looking for a specific article or publication. They have a large lending library. I thought you might be interested to read about them.

CALCASA is pleased to be recognized by IAFN.  Thank you!

Belinda Rolicheck-Executive Director, Haven Women's Center of Stanislaus

Below is a guest post from Belinda Rolicheck, Executive Director at Haven Women’s Center of Stanislaus in Modesto, CA. Haven Women’s Center is a non-profit, bilingual (Spanish/English) organization consisting of a group of dedicated staff and volunteers who share their time by helping victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Haven’s services are designed to empower and support women in their personal decisions. Women are given the opportunity to safety plan and regain control of their lives.

My local newspaper periodically selects community members to write opinion columns on topics of their choice and publishes the columns one Sunday per month. One of these current ”Visiting Editors” happens to be a friend of mine and is the director of a local non-profit agency addressing the issue of literacy. Her most recent column encouraged government agencies to contract with non-profits because they can provide services at a far lower cost than government itself can. Unfortunately, while I can’t argue the premise; non-profits can and do provide services at a notoriously low cost, I can’t quite get behind the reasons why.

My friend’s piece makes two significant assertions: that non-profit salary and benefit packages are usually at or below market level and that employees of nonprofits will sacrifice pay and benefits for the opportunity to work for a cause they believe in. I would argue that while non-profit employees often do sacrifice pay and benefits, it certainly isn’t because they want to. The bigger question is why does working for the common good and performing a job that has value to you and the people you serve often mean not being able to make ends meet? Why should someone who is working for social justice and social good find it necessary to hold down a second job to pay the mortgage? More importantly, why does society assert that because people hold a passion for their work, a livable wage or health insurance are somehow unnecessary?

Just as is true in the for-profit world, part of it depends on where you’re working. State and national-level organizations have more attractive pay and benefit packages than local charities. Large foundations can afford to pay more because of their ability to raise funds from individuals and groups around the country where local agencies largely rely on the immediate community. Geography makes a difference as well; urban agencies will likely pay a little better than a small one in a rural community, again because they have more resources from which to draw. Another reality is the type of non-profit work you do and the cause you further. As I quickly learned, people are much more open to hearing about and supporting breast cancer research than women who have been assaulted by their partner. But aside from these differences that occur between non-profits, I think a significant factor is that the majority of employees of non-profit agencies are women. Whether you agree with feminist philosophy or not, the reality is that women are still paid less than men, are not as prone to try to negotiate a higher salary when they interview for a job and are more likely to consider their income as the ”second”. Historically, occupations in which the majority of employees are women have been grossly underpaid and under appreciated. It is only in recent history one will notice progress in fields such as teaching and nursing. Even that progress is limited because while the pay and benefits for a teacher in Modesto are fairly generous, the same cannot be said for a teacher in rural Florida.

I find it fascinating to look at what people are paid for the work they perform. The disparity between and within professions is mysterious to me. Why do plastic surgeons rank near the top of the pay scale among physicians? I realize they perform reconstructive surgery on patients who have been badly injured and disfigured and I applaud them for doing so. I would be curious, however, to know the ratio of these types of procedures to the cosmetic surgeries performed to enhance one’s ego. Is this service more important than that of the urban emergency room physician who treats gunshot wounds, rape victims and victims of car accidents on a regular basis? Does the computer software developer deserve to bring home a bigger paycheck than the police officer who puts her or his life on the line every time they put on the uniform? And would someone please explain to me in what universe is it rational that the President of the United States, the leader of the free world, only makes a little more than $200,000 a year? I understand the big white house comes with the job too, but seriously, folks.

I am here to debunk the myth that people who work in the non-profit world don’t care about money. While it is probably true we don’t need to become rich, a comfortable living wage is not the same. Perhaps the perception arose from the idea that if you choose to work with the needy, you won’t mind if you become needy. These are frequently people with post high-school education and degrees who work 40-plus hours a week, at jobs that can be very physically and emotionally draining. They are people with families and bills and illnesses and dreams. The work we do is important and if we have learned nothing from our recent collective economic spiral, it is that virtually any of us can stumble and find ourselves in a position of needing help. It is a shame that our society places so little value on our work that many non-profit agencies can’t even provide a retirement plan for their employees.

Finances remain a taboo topic of discussion in our society. Attempting to talk to people about their salaries, benefits, retirement and personal wealth makes them extremely uncomfortable. This is a critical conversation, however, to those currently working in the non-profit field and those considering such a career path. It is certainly worth the time of non-profit leaders, directors and board members, to advocate for change and pay equity for the employees who give so much of themselves to help others.

Belinda Rolicheck
Executive Director
Haven Women’s Center of Stanislaus

As agencies and communities throughout the nation observed Denim Day 2010 today, Community Violence Solutions in San Pablo, CA was pleased to have received support from their local police department.  Below is a message from the Richmond Police Department to Community Violence Solutions:

The Richmond Police Department’s Investigative Services Bureau wants you to know we are in total support of “Denim Day” in protest of the 1999 Italian court ruling. As a show of support, we all broke out our jeans and dressed against Department policy.

We want to thank you all for the hard work and support you provide to our Victim’s.

Richmond Police Department showing their support for Denim Day 2010

Thank you to the Richmond Police Department and all the other law enforcement agencies, organizations and individuals who support the movement to end sexual violence, not just on Denim Day, but throughout the year!

I had a recent opportunity to join a web conference, hosted by the Family Justice Center Alliance,  related to California’s Victim Compensation Program (CalVCP). The web conference was facilitated by JoAnn Goodwin, the Assistant Deputy Executive Officer, and Christy Munson, Manager County Liaison and Support Section of CalVCP.

The Victim Compensation Program (CalVCP) provides financial assistance to victims of crime who have been injured, or threatend with injury, as well as the family members of a victim who has died as a result of a crime.  The CalVCP can pay up to $70,000 per claim for un-reimbursed expenses resulting from a crime such as, but not limited to, domestic violence, sexual assault, homicide, molestation, drunk driving, robbery, and child abuse.  The CalVCP can help victims with expenses such as:

• Relocation expenses: Including first and last month’s rent and deposit,
• Income and support loss: Time lost at a job as a result of the crime,
• Home or vehicle modifications: In cases where a person is disabled as a result of a crime,
• Burial expenses: Help families cover funeral costs for a family member who has died as a result of a crime,
• Medical expenses: Including Mental Health services, ambulance services, chiropractor, glasses, hearing aides, physical therapy, dentist, etc.

To be eligible for the Victim Compensation program, you must be:

• Resident of California (including a Member of the Military in CA),
• Victim of a Crime in California (includes someone who is not from CA, but experienced a crime in CA),
• Experienced physical injury, or threat of physical injury (some emotional injury cases, such as domestic violence, may also apply)

Also, as of January 1, 2009, a minor who witnesses a crime can qualify for up to $5,000 for counseling services.

To learn more about the program, you can access the resources below.  You can also contact CalVCP at 1-800-777-9229 or you can visit the California Victim Compensation Program website, or the National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards, for more information and materials.

Who is eligible for compensation?

What types of expenses are covered?

CalVCP Quick Reference Guide

The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH) and National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) hosted a teleconference and web conference on April 7, 2010 and April 8, 2010 focusing on the effects of the new health care reform on women. Both organizations did a really great job outlining both the positive and not-so-positive provisions in the bill in regards to it’s effects on women.

Some of the positives include:

• Exchanges. People may be eligible for federal subsidies to help them purchase insurance in a “virtual marketplace,” called Exchanges. The idea is that as the number of people purchasing insurance from this “virtual marketplace” grows, the price for policies will decrease and become much more affordable for everyone.
• “Guaranteed Issue” which explicitly states that health care companies cannot deny coverage to women with pre-existing conditions. A survivor suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) due to issues of domestic violence and sexual assault cannot be denied coverage because of their “pre-existing” condition, as health care companies have been doing already.
• Health insurance premiums cannot vary based on gender or health status. Women can no longer be charged more than men based on the fact that they are women. Premiums can, however, be based upon age, smoking status, and geography.
• Community Health Centers will receive $11 billion in new funding. For women who visit community health centers often, this will expand the services they may receive from the centers.
• No co-pays for preventative services. Insurers will not be able to charge co-pays to women seeking preventative services such as pap smears and mammograms.
• Funding for Community Health Workers. Funds will be available to expand and continue the work of Community Health Workers (Promotoras) for medically underserved communities, as well as model those services in areas where they do not currently exist.

Some not-so-positive provisions include:

• Ban on abortion continues. States will still have the right to ban insurance policies that cover abortion services from participating in the Exchanges (Nelson Provision). It also upholds the Hyde Amendment, which states that federal funding that the Community Health Centers will receive cannot be used to provide abortion as an option for women.
• No coverage for undocumented persons, including survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. Undocumented persons will not be eligible for federal subsidies to purchase policies.  Even if they are able to purchase insurance, they will not be able to access the Exchange options.
• The five-year ban for legal permanent residents continues.  Even if a survivor is a legal permanent resident, they will still be unable to access the programs until five years after obtaining their legal status.

Although the Health Care Reform bill has been signed, there are still many loose ends to the bill.  The implementation of many of these provisions still need to take place and will do so between 2010 and 2014.  You can access the resources below for more information about the Health Care Reform and how it affects you.  You can also visit the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health and National Women’s Law Center website for more information about their efforts to ensure that every woman has access to affordable and fair health care insurance.

NLIRH: What you can expect from Health Care Reform

NLIRH: Que puede esperar del la Reforma del Sistema de Salud

NLIRH: Timeline for Health Care Reform Implemenation

NLIRH: Cuando sera implementada la reforma de salud?

NWLC: Women and Health Care reform At-A-Glance

NWLC: What does Health Care Reform means for Women

As the newly signed Health Care Reform begins to settle into people’s minds, many are asking, “How will this affect me?”  For many survivors of sexual assault, many women have experienced barriers to accessing health care because, for many health care agencies, suffering from PTSD after an assault has been considered a “pre-existing condition” (see post entitled “Rape: A Pre-Existing Condition“).

To help understand how the Health Care Reform will impact women, the National Women’s Law Center will be hosting a webinar on April 8, 2010 entitled, “How Women Will Benefit from Health Care Reform.” For more information about this webinar and to register, you can visit their website here.

The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Heath will also be hosting a “virtual cafecito” (a discussion over coffee) for both bilingual and monolingual, Spanish speaking Latinas on April 7, 2010. There will be a call in English from 12:00pm to 1:00pm (EST) and another in Spanish from 1:00pm to 2:00pm (EST). These calls will provide participants with information on the Health Care Reform and how it impacts Latina women.  For more information about these calls or to register, click here.

Community Violence Solutions (CVS)  in Richmond, CA will holding their 3rd Annual International Women’s Day Celebration on Saturday, March 13, 2010 from 10am to 3pm at Lovonya DeJean School.  The theme for this year’s event is: Women in Solidarity” Healing our Beloved Community ~ Mujeres en Solidaridad: Sanando Nuestra Querida Communidad and will feature Lakota Harden, Native American Artist.  There will also be performances and speakers from local artists, dancers, poets and musicians.  This is a free event and will include childcare and lunch.

To pre-register to attend and to learn more, you can view the flyer for this event here.

Working at a Rape Crisis Center, many times advocates will come across a survivor who was either assaulted in another State and lives in CA or is from another State and was assaulted in CA. Either way, advocates may at times need to step away from what you understand about CA Mandated Reporting Laws and provide a survivor with information about how the laws may, or may not, apply in another State.

Recently,  End Violence Against Women International (EVAW) hosted a webinar focused on Medical Mandated Reporting for Sexual Assault and provided a couple of resources regarding Mandated Reporting Laws in other States that may be helpful to you in the event that you are in need of that information either for yourself or for a survivor.

Below you will find links to those resources, including an interactive map from the National District Attorney’s Association that allows you to click on a State to learn about their Mandated Reporting Laws.  Always remember that laws may change so you should always double check with a particular State, including your own.

National District Attorney’s Association

The Voice: Rape and Sexual Assault Reporting Laws

Week of January 11th

Below is a summary of what happened this week with bills that CALCASA is tracking through the state legislature. The list includes bills that CALCASA is sponsoring, supporting and watching. We included links to each bill, so that you can read the text.

Assembly Public Safety

AB 588 (Portantino) Sexual assault crimes.
CALCASA Position: Support
Status:  1/13/2010 From committee: Do pass, and re-refer to Com. on APPR. Re-referred. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (January 12).
Current Location: 1/13/2010 A-APPR.

AB 633 (Ammiano) Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: inmates and wards: classification.
CALCASA Position: Support
Status: 1/13/2010 From committee: Do pass, and re-refer to Com. on APPR. Re-referred. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (January 12).
Current Location: 1/13/2010 A-APPR.

AB 984 (Nava) Crimes.
CALCASA Position: Support
Status: 1/12/2010 Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
Current Location:  1/12/2010 A-APPR

AB 505  (Furutani) Sex offenders: housing.
CALCASA Position: Concerns/Watch
Status: 1/13/2010 From committee: Do pass, and re-refer to Com. on APPR. Re-referred. (Ayes 4. Noes 2.) (January 12).
Current Location: 1/13/2010 A-APPR.

Senate Public Safety

SB 46 (Alquist) Sex offenders: commencing trial: time.
CALCASA Position: Sponsor
Status: 1/13/2010 Set, second hearing. Failed passage in committee.
Current Location: 1/13/2010 S-PUB. S.

SB 677 (Yee) Human trafficking: property: seizure.
CALCASA Position: Support
Status: 1/13/2010 From committee: Do pass, but first be re-referred to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Current Location: 1/13/2010 S-APPR.

Schwarzenegger declares budget emergency, proposes deep cuts

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled an $82.9 billion state spending plan today that calls for no tax hikes but envisions pay cuts for state workers, reductions in services to California’s neediest residents – and on the benevolence of the federal government.

3 in 25 juveniles in detention are sexually abused, study finds

About 3 out of every 25 youths in state and privately run juvenile correctional facilities have experienced at least one incident of sexual victimization, according to a federal study released Thursday.

Will Trauma Recovery Center Fall Victim to Budget Nightmare?

Victims of violent crime in the city are about to be victimized again — by city budget cuts. Department of Public Health Director Mitch Katz included the city’s Trauma Recovery Center in the list of programs to be axed in mid-year budget cuts.

First Transgender Appointee Named

Amanda Simpson, the first known openly transgender presidential appointee in the United States, started work today at the US Department of Commerce. She is a senior technical advisor in the Bureau of Industry and Security. Prior to her appointment, Simpson was employed as the Deputy Director in Advanced Technology Development at Raytheon Missile Systems in Arizona. She is a certified flight instructor and test pilot and has degrees in physics, engineering, and business administration.

The Police Foundation released their December 2009 issue of Ideas in American Policing, a series of papers focused on issues pertaining to law enforcement, policy makers, scholars and practitioners. In this issue, entitled “Customer Satisfaction: Crime Victims’ Willingness to Call the Police” the Police Foundation published a national survey completed by the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice. This national survey focused on crime victimization and  the “situational aspects of crime reporting.”

The survey consisted of 206 women incarcerated at the Hennepin County Adult Detention Facility in Minneapolis. From the women’s responses, one of the commonalities they found was that:

Women who had experienced the most violence were the least likely to report their violence to the police; among those who did not report being violently victimized, those with the most violent histories reported being very dissatisfied with the police response.

Other reasons the women gave for not reporting included that they didn’t feel they needed the help, fear of the perpetrator(s), didn’t want to be a “snitch”, they didn’t want anyone to know and they didn’t believe the police would do anything. The survey goes on to discuss other reasons why women do not report crimes against them as well as satisfaction and dissatisfaction with police response if they did report to law enforcement.

To read the full report, click here.

Over the last couple of weeks, CALCASA has been focusing on the importance of self care for advocates in the sexual assault movement. As advocates see and hear about traumatic stories of sexual assault against women, children and men on a daily bases, many carry those stories and experiences with them.  Although not as evident early-on, the exposure to this type, or any type of, trauma begins to take a toll on an advocate’s soul.  The harshness of the world becomes more evident and something that seemed simple, such as watching a movie, can suddenly fill us with anxiety, sadness and even anger.

As Marishka Hargitay, who plays Detective Olivia Benson on Law and Order: Special Victim’s Unit and President and Founder of the Joyful Heart Foundation, stated:

When people are abused and assaulted, it is like the doors to their souls slam shut.

Just as the souls of survivors shut down, so can the souls of those who are advocating and helping survivors though the healing process. If our souls shut down, how can we continue to help survivors heal and illuminate their souls once again?

In an effort to help advocates in the movement begin their own journey to self care and healing, CALCASA is excited to provide a day long workshop facilitated by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky, author of “Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring or Others.” This workshop is open for advocates from CALCASA Member Programs in an effort to support and provide resources related to self care and healing for advocates.  This workshop will be held on Friday, February 3, 2010 in Pacifica, CA and CALCASA will provide limited travel stipends (upon approval) for participants (one per agency).

To read more about Laura van Dernoot Lipsky and for more details about this workshop, you can read the original announcement by visiting the original blog post here.

CALCASA is pleased to announce a workshop opportunity for CALCASA Member Programs.  On Wednesday, February 3, 2010 Laura van Dernoot Lipsky, author of  “Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others” will be facilitating a day-long workshop for advocates from CALCASA Member Programs. Laura has been a trauma worker for about two decades. About 10 years ago Laura shares that she finally had to face the reality that

The work she cared so much about was taking a toll on her

Laura began to realize the importance of taking care of herself if she wanted to continue to take care of others.  Her journey and experiences of healing lead her to write “Trauma Stewardship.”  Now, Laura dedicates her time to sharing her knowledge and experiences with other advocates working with trauma on a daily bases.

As mentioned earlier, Laura will be providing a day-long workshop for CALCASA Member Programs on Wednesday, February 3, 2010 at the Best Western Lighthouse Hotel in Pacifica, CA.  This workshop will focus on common effects of trauma exposure as well as finding balance and, as Laura states, “Finding your way to Trauma Stewardship.”

You must be a staff or volunteer at a CALCASA Member program to attend this workshop.  We are limiting the attendees to ONE (1) per Member Program, to allow every Member Program to be represented at this event.  Registration is $45 per person (nonrefundable) and CALCASA will be providing limited travel stipends (upon approval) to participants on a first-come-first-served basis so register early as space is limited.

For more information and to register for this workshop, click here.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Cindy Marroquin by email or at 916-446-2520*313.

Following the high profile gang rape of a young woman at Richmond High School in October 2009, Laura van Dernoot Lipsky, author of  “Trauma Stewardship: An Everday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others,”  and the Joyful Heart Foundation, reached out to offer support to the advocates at Community Violence Soulutions (CVS).  Advocates at rape crisis centers throughout the State, and Nation, see and hear about cases similar to this on a daily bases, but with the media attention this case received, it was sure to be even more overwhelming for all the advocates at this particular rape crisis center, being that they serve the Richmond, CA  Community.  As CVS does on a daily bases, rape crisis center advocates respond in person or by phone to numerous survivors of sexual violence.  Survivors reach out to advocates at rape crisis centers because they know that there, they will find a safe place to receive support and begin their journey towards healing.

As advocates, however, how or where do they find support when experiencing, second-hand, so much trauma? Do they ever think about how this daily exposure to trauma affects them? Laura van Dernoot Lipsky addressed these questions during a retreat for CVS advocates-staff and volunteers.  She addressed the common effects of the work trauma advocates do, on their lives and the importance of taking care of one’s self as they do this work.  Terming this, “Trauma Exposure Response,” Laura addressed some effects that advocates may experience to include:

• Feelings of hopelessness or helplessness
• A sense of never being able to do enough
• Hypervigilance
• Fear
• Guilt
• Anger and Cynicism
• Dissociative moments
• Numbing
• Diminished creativity

Laura focused on how these responses lead to high levels of burnout and loss of “passion for the work” for those working in rape crisis centers. To give advocates a better understanding of the importance of “taking care of self while caring for others,” she compared the work rape crisis center advocates do to what Martin Luther King referred to as “a single garment of destiny” in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”:

All [of us] are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny

The work rape, and domestic violence, crisis center advocates do is part of a larger work  for Social Justice and Anti-Oppression.  We all hold a part of that garment and if we are not taking care of ourselves while we are taking care of others, then our part of the garment will unravel and the garment as a whole can fall apart. Advocates owe it to themselves, their loved ones and to survivors to take care of themselves because you cannot truly help others unless you help yourself.  Whether it’s taking a yoga class or taking a minute or two of your day to do some simple breathing exercises at your desk, take some time to focus on YOU. You can also incorporate some simple techniques during regular staff meetings at your agencies. What are you doing to take care of yourself?  Feel free to share ideas in the comment section below.

To every advocate at every rape and domestic violence crisis center, we THANK YOU and HONOR you for all the work you do!

You can also find more suggestions for simple self-care ideas at the websites below.

Overdoing and Breaking the Routine

The Art of Relaxation

Breathing Exercises

Relaxation Techniques for Stress Relief

Information from The Department of Defense

The DoD Task Force on Sexual Assault in the Military Services recently submitted its congressionally-mandated report to the secretary of defense.  The report finds DoD has made progress in improving the response to victims’ needs, but calls for DoD to do more to fully address the spectrum of sexual assault prevention and response.

“Our recommendations highlight the need for institutional change to more effectively prevent sexual assault and address related issues.  Doing so is not only ethically and morally correct, but also essential to military readiness – all the more critical at this time,” said Louis Iasiello, task force co-chairman.

The task force made a number of recommendations involving DoD’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, including: temporarily elevating oversight of this office to the jurisdiction of the deputy secretary of defense until the program meets established institutional goals; changing the budgeting process to overcome inconsistent funding among the military services; strengthening the policy and oversight functions of the office; calling for collaboration with the military services and national experts in sexual assault prevention to develop a comprehensive prevention strategy and a plan to routinely evaluate it; and more rigorous oversight of military service training programs.

The task force found DoD has made demonstrable progress in providing assistance to victims of sexual assault by offering restricted reporting, which permits a victim to obtain immediate care and counseling without engaging law enforcement and command authority.

The task force did recommend, however, that Congress should, as a permanent measure, enact a comprehensive military justice privilege for communications between a victim advocate and a victim of sexual assault.

Among the other recommendations:

• Ensure service members who report they were sexually assaulted are afforded the assistance of a nationally certified victim advocate.
• Ensure victims understand their rights, including the opportunity to consult with legal counsel to minimize victim confusion during the investigative process.
• Improve medical care for victims of sexual assault, particularly those in deployed areas.
• Ensure gender-appropriate care for male victims.
• Inform victims and service members of disciplinary actions related to sexual assault.

The task force based its assessment on data collected over a 15-month period at 60 sites around the world.  Task Force members spoke to more than 3,500 people, interviewing active duty and reserve component victims of sexual assault and other military personnel.  During their assessment, they also interviewed general court-martial convening authorities, legal and investigative officials, senior policy officials, sexual assault response coordinators, and victim advocates.

A copy of the full report can be found at by clicking here.  The secretary of defense has 90 days to review, comment on and submit the report to Congress.

The Women of Color Network (WOCN), a collaboration between the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV) and the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV),  is a National Grassroots Organization that has been committed to providing Women of Color in mainstream domestic violence and sexual assault agencies a safe space to connect on a national level.  The WOCN provides technical assistance, trainings and advocacy to

help foster Women of Color in the advancement of their anti-violence work and leadership.

Since April 2007, the WOCN has hosted numerous National Call to Action calls to facilitate dialogue between Advocates and Activists of all ages,  Aspiring Allies, and Young WOC Advocates. Through these calls, the WOCN heard from Call to Action Participants that a National gathering was high on their priority list so the WOCN worked towards making this goal a reality.   Recently, the Women Of Color Network received funding from the Office for Victims of Crime to  host the first WOCN National Call to Action Institute and Conference.

The Institute and Conference will take place May 10 – 14, 2010 in New Orleans, LA. May 11 – 12, 2010 will host 3 separate institutes, a Women of Color Institute, a Mainstream Women Allies’ Institute and a Men’s Institute (in partnership with A Call to Men).  May 13 – 14 will bring all three institutes together for the Conference.  More information about this Conference will be available soon!

For more information about the Institute and Conference, you can visit WOCN’s website here.  You can also learn more about the Women of Color Network by downloading their brochure.

CALCASA has been working in collaboration with the Legal Aide Society-Employment Law Center of San Francisco to provide you with information regarding Employment Rights and Protections for Sexual Assault survivors.  As we reported in previous blog posts, we just completed a series of Legal Advocacy Regional Training Institutes with Anya Lakner and the Employment Law Center of San Fransisco.

Unfortunately, Anya Lakner has since left the Legal Aide Society-Employment Law Center of San Francisco but during the Legal Advocacy Training in Burbank, CA, she offered to share some important information about Employment Rights for Sexual Assault Survivors. You can listen to Anya’s podcast here:

The Huffington Post has recently begun their Investigative Fund’s Citizen Journalism Project which allows readers to share their experiences with insurance systems to help shape the current debate over what needs to be done to fix the current National Health Care system.

Since the Huffington Post began this project, many women have contacted the Huffington Post to share their experiences with being denied insurance coverage due to pre-existing conditions they developed after being raped, such as PTSD and HIV/AIDS.

One woman, Cristina Turner-a survivor of a drug induced rape-said that after she sought medical attention she did not realized she had made herself “uninsurable” after she was prescribed anti-HIV medications after the assault. Another woman in Ithaca, NY shared that Blue Shield declined to cover the rape exam and any therapy or medication from a recent rape because she had disclosed having been raped 21 years before.

As the National Health Care Debate continues, it is important to keep in mind how this also affects survivors of violence and women in general. You can find more information about, or be a part of the investigation by sharing your story, at the  Huffington Post’s Investigative Fund and the Insurance Watchdog Investigation.

You can also get more information about women and the Health Care Debate at  Being a Woman is Not a Pre-Existing Condition.

Feel free to share your comments in the comments section below.

CALCASA is proud to be hosting the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference in Los Angeles. To get announcements, registration information and other updates, CALCASA is proud to be hosting the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference in Los Angeles click here.

Legislation introduced by Idaho Senator Mike Crapo and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) has cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee and is headed for the full Senate. The proposed legislation protects funds for programs that assist victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Crapo and Leahy sponsored the Crime Victims Fund Preservation Act to protect essential services to victims under the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA).

The VOCA law established a dedicated fund comprised of criminal fines and penalties collected that has become a key source of support for local violence and assault response programs. But Crapo noted those funds have come under fire almost every year as Congress redirects these “dedicated” funds from the intended recipients to other unrelated federal programs. The Crapo-Leahy bill would rededicate these funds back to victim support programs.

Continue reading the press release here.

Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs Legislation to Restore Funding to State’s Domestic Violence Shelters

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today signed SBX3 13 by Senator Elaine Alquist (D-San Jose) to restore $16.3 million of state funding to support California domestic violence shelters.

“I want to congratulate the many groups that put victims first and came together to find this creative solution that will keep domestic violence shelters throughout the state open,” said Governor Schwarzenegger.

CDCR Asks Crime Victims to Register for New Automated Database to Keep them Better Informed about their Offenders

SACRAMENTO – In its effort to keep crime victims informed, the Office of Victim and Survivor Rights with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is asking crime victims to register for a new automated system that will soon provide real-time information about the custody status of their offenders. The new system was made possible by a federal grant.

Rape Victim’s Choice: Risk AIDS or Health Insurance?

By Danielle Ivory

Christina Turner feared that she might have been sexually assaulted after two men slipped her a knockout drug. She thought she was taking proper precautions when her doctor prescribed a month’s worth of anti-AIDS medicine.

Only later did she learn that she had made herself all but uninsurable.

Court rejects governor’s plan to solve prison overcrowding

Schwarzenegger’s plan to solve California’s prison overcrowding crisis, giving the state three weeks to devise an alternative or risk an order that seizes control of how more than 40,000 inmates are released from the prison system over the next two years.

After 20 years, Minnesota still wonders, Where’s Jacob?

On Oct. 22, 1989, Jacob Wetterling vanished – kidnapped in rural St. Joseph, Minn. Twenty years later, his disappearance endures as one of the state’s greatest criminal mysteries. But his family has never given up hope that, one day, he will come home.

U.S. formally asks for Polanski extradition

(CNN) — The United States has formally asked Switzerland to extradite film director Roman Polanski, Swiss authorities said Friday.

The Academy Award-winning director was arrested in Switzerland last month on a U.S. arrest warrant stemming from a 1977 sex case involving a 13-year-old girl. He is fighting extradition.

Opinion

Vetoing Justice for Rape Victims

by Sarah Tofte

Over the weekend, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California vetoed legislation that would have made California the first state in the nation to collect comprehensive data on the physical evidence collected from rape victims that is sitting in police storage facilities.

The bill, AB 1017, which sailed through both houses of the state legislature, had been hailed by advocates as model legislation and an important first step in reckoning with the huge backlog in the United States. But Governor Schwarzenegger, citing the time and money it would take law enforcement agencies to collect the data, decided to oppose a law that would help bring justice to rape victims.

SACRAMENTO – In its effort to keep crime victims informed, the Office of Victim and Survivor Rights with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is asking crime victims to register for a new automated system that will soon provide real-time information about the custody status of their offenders. The new system was made possible by a federal grant.

“This is a significant step forward in helping victims, and making sure their questions and concerns are addressed,” CDCR Secretary Matthew Cate said. “The VINE system will allow victims to be notified with accurate information so that they can protect themselves and participate in the criminal justice process.”

The new statewide automated Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) system will provide a 24-hour service and will give registered victims an instant notice by phone or email about their offender’s whereabouts.

“We are hoping to have the VINE system up and running by next year, but we are putting the call out to the victims of this state so they can register before it’s launched,” said Assistant Secretary Sandi Menefee from the Office of Victim and Survivor Rights and Service.

The state was awarded federal grant funds from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) within the United States Department of Justice. The state was awarded $500,000 in federal grant money with a $500,000 in-kind match provided in the form of redirected CDCR staff resources to manage the system. The grant award will be in effect for two years.

The automated system will also inform victims and next-of-kin of when their offender is scheduled for a parole board hearing if they are serving a life term.

Currently, the state does not have a unified statewide victim notification system.

CDCR is using a paper-based system for victim notification and the process varies among the 33 institutions.

California Penal Code and the addition of Marsy’s Law requires CDCR to notify witnesses, victims and next of kin if a violent offender is released, escapes, dies, or is up for parole.

The Office of Victim and Survivor Rights and Service database documents that more than 20,000 victim notifications are made annually to victims of offenders in CDCR custody.

“The VINE system will be a more cost effective way to keep tabs on the thousands of offenders our office deals with on a daily basis,” said Menefee. “Crime victims have been through enough already, this system will make it easier for them to get the information they need.”

CDCR and the California State Sheriff’s Association (CSSA) manage victim notification systems independent of each other. This federal grant allows for an interface for both systems to come together – a seamless transition of an offender going from county jail to state prison.

CDCR operates and manages California’s 33 institutions, oversees a variety of community correctional facilities, and supervises parolees during their re-entry into society. As part of its responsibilities, CDCR also adheres to the following legislative mandates in support of its vision to protect the public from crime and victimization.

If you are a victim of an offender that is serving time in the California state prison system, please call Office of Victim and Survivor Rights and Services at (877) 256-6877 to register for the upcoming VINE service.

Recently, I received a call from a local Rape Crisis Center regarding where they could find posters and other items they could use to decorate their main office.  The advocate mentioned that they were looking for things that clients could relate to and would make them feel welcomed.  My initial thought was, “Where can I refer her to purchase posters?”  As I referred her to some sites I began to think, “How practical is it for Rape Crisis Centers to have the funds to purchase posters in theses tough economic times?” For many centers, it’s just not practical at all.

Providing a welcoming and representative environment for clients can cost little to no money. Something that came to mind is Arte Sana’s Corazon Lastimado (Healing the Wounded Heart) art project.  Arte Sana began this art project in 2003 as a therapeutic and creative way for survivors to express the impact of sexual assault in their lives, including their journey towards healing.

Some centers have already begun to do this with clients.  For instance, centers are using client’s artwork  (with written consent) during Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April at events or as displays in their offices.  Using client’s art can be a great way to personalize your center, provide inspiration for staff and clients and help clients on their journey toward healing.

If you are interested in showcasing your client’s art work, below are some resources that may help you with various ideas to get you on your way.

Arte Sana

A Window Between Worlds

The Bandana Project

Putting a Face on Abuse

Has your agency worked on a similar project? Please feel free to share your experiences with others in the comments section below.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today signed SBX3 13 by Senator Elaine Alquist (D-San Jose) to restore $16.3 million of state funding to support California domestic violence shelters.

“I want to congratulate the many groups that put victims first and came together to find this creative solution that will keep domestic violence shelters throughout the state open,” said Governor Schwarzenegger.

“I am proud to sign this bipartisan legislation that is good news for every Californian whose life is devastated by violence in the home and will help ensure domestic violence victims have a safe place to go. And, I encourage the legislature to continue looking for a permanent funding solution for this important program so domestic violence shelters aren’t faced with the same uncertainty next year.”

By failing to pass a balanced budget that fell $1 billion short of what legislative leaders had agreed to, the legislature forced the Governor to cut funding for programs he never had proposed cutting, including funding for domestic violence shelters. Since the budget was signed the Governor’s Administration has been working to restore funding to this important program and will continue to work for a permanent funding solution.

SBX3 13 provides for a one-time $16.3 million loan from the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Fund to fund domestic violence shelters statewide for the 2009-10 fiscal year. The loan will be repaid with interest at the rate earned by the Pooled Money Investment Account by June 30, 2013.

Please click here to read the full press release.

The organization Veterans for Peace reports that

37% of the attempted and raped women  in a VA study also reported being raped more than once and 14% of them reported being gang raped. This study also discovered that 75% of raped women in the military failed to report it.

The Department of Defense also reports that 1 in 3 women in the military are raped. This information lead the organization, Veterans for Peace, to designate the week of October 12-16, 2009 to be “Military Rape Awareness Week.” Sgt. Sandra Lee, a soldier who reports that she was raped twice while deployed in Iraq, made her first public statement to help kick off the campaign.

For more information, you can visit the Veterans for Peace website.

You can also go to The National Newsmagazine Colorlines or visit their blog, RaceWire for more information about women in the military and their obstacles around gender, sexuality and race.

Christina Vasquez - CALCASA's WOC North Caucus Representative

CALCASA is excited to announce, and introduce, the new addition to CALCASA’s Leadership. Yesterday, Christina Vasquez from SafeQuest Solano, was elected onto CALCASA’s Council as the new Women of Color (WOC) North Caucus Representative.

Christina is the Volunteer Outreach and Training Coordinator at SafeQuest Solano, a Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Center in Fairfield, CA.  She has been with SafeQuest since 1995 and has held various roles at the agency. She has instructed Self Defense classes and has provided direct advocacy to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, both as a volunteer and as a paid staff member.  In reference to applying for the WOC North Caucus Representative position, Christina shares:

I am committed and dedicated to the work of CALCASA, the work that you do to provide [member] agencies the tools and resources to continue the work to end sexual violence, advocating justice, providing leadership and technical support.

CALCASA is excited to welcome Christina to CALCASA’s Council and Leadership.  We look forward to working with her and know that she is a valuable asset to the movement. Please join us in Welcoming Christina to CALCASA as the newly elected WOC North Caucus Representative!

If you are a WOC advocate at a CALCASA Member Rape Crisis Center (North Region) and are interested in learning more about the WOC North Caucus, please feel free to email Christina Vasquez.

As many of you may already know, we just completed a series of Regional Legal Advocacy Trainings, in collaboration with the Legal Aide Society~Employment Rights Center of San Francisco, focused on Employment Rights for Sexual Assault Survivors.  Many Rape Crisis Center advocates had an opportunity to attend, as well as folks from other agencies such as the Inter-Tribal Council of CA, various County District Attorney-Victim Service Agencies, Lideres Campesinas and other community agencies.

Unfortunately, we understand that not all agencies were able to participate so I wanted to share some information from those trainings with you about Workplace Safety and Protected Time Off for Survivors.  For Employees, here are some Employee Protections if you are a survivor of Sexual Violence:

• CA Labor Code § 230 (c): Any employer may not discharge, discriminate, or retaliate against an employee who is a domestic violence/sexual assault survivor for taking time off to obtain/maintain any relief, including a TRO/RO/injunctive relief, to help ensure the health, safety, or welfare of a survivor or the survivor’s child.
• CA Labor Code § 230.1: An employer with 25 or more employees may not fire, discriminate or retaliate against an employee who is a domestic violence or sexual assault survivor for taking time off to: receive counseling, safety plan, obtain a TRO/RO/injunctive relief, seek medical attention, or obtain services from a domestic violence program or rape crisis center.

For Employers, here are some Workplace Safety requirements to consider:

• Federal OSHA: General Duty Clause: Requires employers to provide a safe and healthful working environment. Employers can be cited if there are recognized hazards of workplace violence and nothing is done to prevent or abate them.
• CA Labor Code  § 6402: “No employee shall require, or permit, any employee to go to, or be in a place of employment which is not safe and healthful.”
• CA Labor Code § 6403: “No employer shall fail or neglect… (t)o do every other thing reasonably necessary to protect the life, safety and health of employees.”
• CA Labor Code § 6401.7: “Every employer shall establish, implement and maintain an effective injury prevention program.”

Below are additional resources and information regarding Employement Rights for Survivors:

• 7 Important Facts About Your Workplace Rights
• Paid Family Leave Benefits
• Unemployment Insurance If You Must Quit
• Disabilities in the Workplace
• Job-Guaranteed time off to go to court and to obtain service
• Taking Leave for a Health Condition

For more information, or legal advice, you can visit the Legal Aide Society~Employment Law Center of San Francisco website.

You can also visit the OSHA website or the California Law website for more information on the Labor Codes listed above.

“They are often invisible in the crime statistics and they frequently find community organizations such as domestic violence and sexual assault programs inadequately prepared to fully understand and meet their needs.” ( Impact – Volume 13 Number 3 Fall)
You may be asking yourself, who is “they”.  The “they” in the above passage are women with disabilities.

How accessible are the services at your rape crisis center for persons with disabilities?

“Rates of women with disabilities experiencing  violence ranges from 31%-83%; double or quadruple the rate among women without disabilities” (Sobsey D., Women are abuse in the lives of people with disabilities: The end of silence acceptance – Paul H Brooks Publishing Co)

From 2007-2008 I had the opportunity to participate on the Prevention of Violence Against Women with Disabilities task force sponsored through Transforming Communities.  The most prominent issue highlighted by the task force was the heightened frustrations and concern regarding how difficult it is to connect their clients with disabilities to other service providers that did not have persons with disabilities as their primary focus.

It is imperative that rape crisis centers put forth a conscious and direct effort to make their services available and accessible to persons with disabilities.  Here are few suggestions to help you get started:

• Establish and or have an active collaborations with your local persons with disabilities organizations.
• Provide appropriate and ongoing training to your staff regarding issues related to persons with disabilities.
• Create an action plan regarding adapting your services for persons with physical and intellectual disabilities.

Several years ago I attended a meeting for parents of children with disabilities where a mom addressed the school board and said “I feel my daughter is unseen and excluded from being a part of this school.  What are you going to do to change that?”

I propose a similar question to you.  What are you going to do to ensure that clients with disabilities at your agency are visible and included in your overall agency plan?

CALCASA has several documents addressing how you can make your services more accessible for persons with disabilities.

Additional resources

Stop Violence Against Women with Disabilities

Disability Gov

American With Disabilities Act

US Department of Labor

Trauma Stewardship, by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky and Connie Burk

I first heard about the book Trauma Stewardship, by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky and Connie Burk, a couple of months ago when a friend shared her experience as she read the book.  However, I did not begin to read the book until I heard Laura speak the the recent National Sexual Assault Conference in Alexandria, VA. Although I have not finished reading the book, what I have already read has really spoken to my experiences as an advocate.

The book begins with Laura, and educator, advocate and social worker, sharing a story about her family vacation.  During a hike to the top of a cliff, Laura began to think about how many people had, or had not, jumped off that cliff.  She also thought about where the closest trauma center was or how long it would take for help to arrive in the event that someone did jump off the cliff.  At one point, she blurted out, “I wonder how many people have killed themselves by jumping off these cliffs?”  Her step-father in law turned to her and asked, “Has your work gotten to you that much?”How many of us do something like this?  How many of us have thoughts about who that man is with a child on his lap. Father? Uncle? Grandfather? Is he hurting that child? Is the child safe? Does the child look happy? Unhappy? Laura explains this experience like this:

I had absorbed and accumulated trauma to the point that it had become part of me, and my view of the world had changed.

After realizing this, Laura understood that she needed to make a change, and to do so there were some key things she needed to begin with:

First, I needed to take responsibility for acknowledging the effects of trauma exposure within myself. Second, I had to learn how to make room for my own internal process – to create the space within to heal and to discover what I would need to continue with clarity on my chosen path. I had to find some way to bear witness to trauma without surrendering my ability to live life fully. I needed a framework of meaning.

This is what she calls “Trauma Stewardship”.  The book goes on to talk about our responses to trauma, how we can create change from the inside out, and how to find our way to Trauma Stewardship.  I strongly encourage advocates working in the field to end violence against women to explore what Laura and Connie share with us in their book.

The National Online Resource Center on Violence Against Women (VAWNET) just announced the release of a new applied research document entitled:

Culturally Competent Service Provision to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgender Survivors of Sexual Violence

by Sabrina Gentlewarrior with contributions from Kim Fountain

The article can be downloaded from this link.  Other VAWNET publications related to sexual violence can be found here.

We just completed the second Dismantling Oppressions Work Group’s Anti Oppression Institute, At the Crossroads of Race and Queer, in Los Angeles, CA and, from what I heard, it was a day of challenges, understanding, appreciation and “aha” moments  for participants and facilitators alike.  The Dismantling Oppressions Work Group (DOWG) is a group composed of some of CALCASA’s Leadership as well as other allies in the movement for Social Justice.  CALCASA and the DOWG group were grateful to be able to provide two opportunities for Rape Crisis Center Executive Directors and Managers to convene and discuss issues of Oppression within the movement, their agencies and their communities.

The DOWG Group focused on topics such as Oppression, Internalized Oppression, Intersection Issues, Resistance, Insurgence and Liberation.  The 2-Day Institute touched on issues of homophobia, heterosexism, racism and transphobia and how those intersect with our clients needs and experiences. In order to provide the most holistic services and support to survivors, it is important to keep in mind that it is very likely that survivors are also experiencing trauma associated with other forms of Oppression, not just sexism.  As Audre Lorde once stated:

There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle, because we don’t live single-issue lives

Participants had an opportunity to discuss how these issues affect not just survivors of violence but advocates in the movement as well.  Talking about issues of Racism and Oppression is never an easy discussion to have, but we were very happy to see how many Rape Crisis Center E.D.’s and Managers made the time and commitment to attend this Anti Oppression Institute.  CALCASA and the DOWG Group hope to continue working together to provide similar trainings to Rape Crisis Centers in the near future.

Anya Lakner talks about Survivor's Employment Rights

CALCASA and the Legal Aide Society- Employment Law Center of San Francisco (LAS-ELC) successfully completed the second, in a series of three, trainings in Chico, CA. As I shared briefly in a previous post, the ELC has been facilitating trainings for advocates throughout the State about Project SURVIVE (Surviving Violence and Increasing Viable Employment), which focuses on both State and Federal Employment Rights and Protections for Survivors of Sexual Assault. About 20 advocates from various Rape Crisis Centers and Tribal Agencies convened in Chico, CA to discuss and learn information that can be helpful as they work with Survivors of Sexual Assault. Some of the information Anya Lakner and Claudia Center, project attorney’s at the Employment Law Center of San Francisco, shared included:

• Workplace Rights
• Protected Time Off for Court and to Obtain Services
• Paid Family Leave Benefits
• Disabilities in the Workplace
• Safety and Unemployment Insurance

Anya and Claudia also reminded participants that currently, employers are not required by law to inform employees about these specific protections. This is important to remember because it gives advocates the opportunity to educate survivors about their employment rights so that survivors can make informed choices. The LAS-ELC also provides free legal help and referral services to survivors.  To find more information, and fact sheets in other languages, or to receive technical assistance contact the Legal Aide Society-Employment Law Center of San Francisco.

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) in Montgomery, AL, launched the Bandana Project through their program Esperanza: The Immigrant Woman’s Legal Initiative. Esperanza, which means “hope” in Spanish, focuses on the issues of harassment and sexual assault of farmworker women. The National Initiative provides education on workplace rights to farmworking women and works to raise awareness of this issue in communities throughout the United States.  Monica Ramirez, an attorney at the SPLC who directs the initiative,  began this program while working as an Equal Justice Works fellow in Florida.  She states:

“For a long time, no one was talking about this. Women were too often afraid to come forward. No legal services program was focusing on this issue, and few organizations had expertise or resources to dedicate to it. But we need to know about it, and we need to be outraged. We want these women to have a voice, and we want these companies to pay for the illegal behavior that’s being committed in their workplace.”

The program not only focuses on farmworker women but also on all immigrant women working in low-income sectors such as meat-packing plants, canneries, and  hotel and service industries. From the experiences of these women, the Esperanza Initiative decided to launch the Bandana Project as a campaign to help raise awareness of the exploitation of farmworking women. The reason for using the Bandanas came from the experiences of farmworker women who say that they use the bandanas, as well as over sized clothing, to try to hide their gender to protect themselves from sexual harassment and sexual assault in the workplace.  The campaign also uses the bandanas as a public display of solidarity and support for victims and survivors of this violence.

During Sexual Assault Awareness Month, many cities across the Nation invite their communities, including members of the farmworking communities, universities and other agencies, to decorate bandanas. These decorated bandanas are then displayed in public areas such as museums, libraries, and community centers throughout the month of April. Many Rape Crisis Centers in California are now including displays such as these during their SAAM activities and events.  Monica Ramirez adds,

“Through this project, we try to bring a sense of hope, confidence and the will to be brave. It is our wish that these women will see our encouragement as a sign that they no longer have to suffer in silence.”

Watch a video about Campaign here: Bandana Project

For more information about the Bandana Project and how you can begin a campaign in your community, visit the Southern Poverty Law Center’s website .

Arte Sana's Existe Ayuda National Project

CALCASA had the privilege to host the second phase of Arte Sana’s Existe Ayuda (Help Exists) National Outreach Project this year during our Leadership Pre-Conference day on August 17, 2009 in Sacramento.  About 23 Bilingual, Spanish-Speaking advocates from California and neighboring states such as Oregon and Nevada participated in the National Outreach Project this year.  Arte Sana’s National Outreach Project is a outreach and training product demonstration of Spanish language materials. Laura Zarate, Executive Director for Arte-Sana, facilitated the day long project and provided participants with the existing outreach materials to review. Participants had the opportunity to review and provide feedback on grammar, content and language pertaining to these outreach materials.

Participants discussed the complexities that come with the development of culturally appropriate Spanish-language materials due to the diversity of the language as well as the generational differences in Spanish-Speaking communities. The Outreach Project participants, who were from communities from different areas of Mexico and Central America, shared their individual experiences working in communities were services for Spanish-speaking survivors are not offered in culturally appropriate ways. Arte Sana thanks all the participants who devoted their day to attend this training and for being a part of this project. Your feedback and dedication towards providing the best and most culturally appropriate information and services to your communities is greatly appreciated.

For more information on Arte Sana’ and their Existe Ayuda National Outreach Project, please go to www.arte-sana.com

An ITCC Advocate explains the services they offer to Tribal Communities

This year, CALCASA and the Inter-Tribal Council of California, Inc. teamed up to provide a day-long workshop during CALCASA’s 2009 Leadership Conference, which I had the privilege of attending.  Connie Reitman-Solas, Executive Director of ITCC, and Tami Tejada, Program Coordinator for ITCC’s Family Violence Prevention and Service Program of ITCC, Inc. facilitated this daylong workshop which focused on how non-tribal service providers and tribal service providers can collaborate to provide Native women and children who are survivors of sexual assault, the most culturally appropriate services. Connie shared a historical perspective on California Tribal Communities, as well as information about California’s Tribal population.  Tami talked about existing collaboration efforts between tribal and non-tribal service providers as well as “best practices” for collaborating with Tribal Communities. Participants also had the opportunity to meet face to face with ITCC’s  domestic violence and sexual assault advocates and began building those collaborations on site.

For more information on the Inter-Tribal Council of California, Inc, click here.

You can also access the resources used in this workshop below:

• California Research Bureau’s Early California Laws and Policies Related to California Indians
• CA Attorney General’s Office American Indian Planning Grant
• Critical Sociology Article Invisible or Pathologized? Racial Statistics and Violence Against Women of Color
• ITCC, Inc’s Designated County Service areas

Yesterday, at the CALCASA Leadership Conference, I had the pleasure of moderating a fantastic workshop called Tapping Spiritual Resources – Your Own, The Survivors’ and the Community’s.

The workshop was taught by Kibbie Ruth, founder of Kyros Ministry. Kibbie has taught abuse prevention and intervention skills as well as consulted on religious cases throughout the country for over twenty years. She brought a wealth of knowledge to the workshop.

Attendees had the chance to discuss the most effective ways to collaborate with faith-based communities, share stories about their own experiences and talk about ways to engage clergy to prevent violence against women.

Don’t forget to check out Kibbie’s website!

This year’s CALCASA Leadership Conference included several awards, the most prestigious of which were given to the Adjutant General of the California National Guard and a State Senator. CALCASA’s Leadership Awards are givent to individuals who have shown leadership in the area of preventing and responding to sexual assault in our community.

Major General William Wade is the 44th Adjutant General of the California National Guard appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2005. As the Adjutant General, he serves as Director of the State of California’s Military Department and leads the largest, most tasked National Guard force in the United States, with an authorized strength of 18,000 Army National Guard and 4,900 Air National Guard members serving in 35 countries.

Through his leadership he fostered a culture that has encouraged sexual assault survivors to come forth to seek help. His compassionate concern for his troops is well know throughout his command and their families. He holds his leaders to high standard in the California National Guard as evidenced by his pursuit of justice victims of sexual violence.

Senator Elaine Alquist is a lifetime champion of crime victims, and the first woman to chair the Senate Public Safety Committee. She authored ground breaking legislation that makes it easier to protect our children from sexual predators.

She has been fighting for several years now to repeal the Statute of Limitations for victims of sexual assault (SB 46). This bill was held in Senate Public Safety Committee, but Senator Alquist is working with leadership to get it passed later this year or in January. She has vowed to never give up on victims rights.

Both of these leaders have been a tremendous support to the work of sexual assault victim advocates, and CALCASA is proud to have honored them this year.

Week of August 10th

CALCASA Media Advocacy Guide

CALCASA is pleased to release our Media Advocacy Guide! Our goal is to share how we use media advocacy. For some of you, this will be a nice introduction to working with the media. For others, you may find that this is a simple text for sharing the activities you’re already doing in your agency with new staff, leadership or allies.

The guide includes some lessons we’ve learned and some nice tips for working with the media. We hope you’ll find it useful and we also want to hear what you think. Some members have already provided valuable feedback while we were writing the guide and we thank you for the support!

Click here to download the guide.

Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs Legislation Giving Law Enforcement Additional Resources to Monitor and Prosecute Sex Offenders

by Valerie Gotten

Last week, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the signing of two bills that will give law enforcement officials additional resources to more effectively monitor and prosecute registered sex offenders and sexually violent predators.

“We must do everything in our power to provide law enforcement with the resources necessary to protect the public,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “Public safety is a top priority and with these bills, we will be able to better monitor and prosecute sex offenders and sexually violent predators to the fullest extent of the law – making our streets safer from these dangerous predators.”

Rape: It’s a war crime

Despite changes in international law and declarations by tribunals and the U.N., rampant sexual violence goes unpunished around the globe.

Recently, we had our first Anti-Oppression Institute in San Francisco, CA for Executive Directors and Key Managers at rape crisis centers. The Anti-Oppression Institute was facilitated by the Dismantling Oppressions Work Group (or the DOWG group), made up of some of CALCASA’s Leadership (i.e. Council and Board Members).

The DOWG group was born from a group of advocates in the movement who saw a need for more open dialogue about issues of anti-oppression and wanted to create safe spaces where rape crisis center staff could discuss and support each other’s work in the movement. The DOWG group began facilitating workshops during previous CALCASA Annual Leadership Conference where they experienced a high number of rape crisis center staff who were interested in being a part of these conversations. Due to its popularity, the DOWG group and CALCASA decided that these Institutes needed their own space, and a lot more time so the Anti-Oppression Institutes were born!

We successfully completed our first, in two, Anti-Oppression Institutes on August 3-4, 2009. Did you miss out on this one? Well, no worries, you have one more opportunity to be a part of these Institutes on:

• September 16-17, 2009 in Los Angeles, CA.
• Limited $400 travel stipends are available to participants so register early!

To register, please click here.

From NSVRC

WASHINGTON, DC – Award-winning actress and sexual assault survivor Gabrielle Union will testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on the importance of the Violence Against Women Act. Union’s testimony will focus on her personal experiences as a sexual assault survivor and the need to provide funding to support services for victims. A rape crisis counselor played a critical role in her own recovery.

“Rape victims are not strangers. They are your mothers, sisters, daughters and your friends, said Union. “Justice shouldn’t be for a select few but for all. Sexual violence is a complex and traumatic experience for both the victim as well as their support system – family members, friends, and colleagues.”

Rape crisis services play a critical role in mitigating the trauma of sexual violence and helping survivors with the possible severe consequences on their well-being and stability. Around the country, however, rape crisis services are woefully underfunded at the state and federal levels.

The funding through the new Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP), which was authorized in the Violence Against Women Act of 2005, provides the first dedicated federal funding stream to local advocacy and direct service providers that are specifically designed to meet the individual needs of each survivor. The President’s FY 2010 budget includes $12 million the Sexual Assault Services Program.

“The National Alliance to End Sexual Violence applauds Gabrielle Union’s courage in testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee about her experience of sexual assault,” said Monika Johnson Hostler, President of NAESV. “As the Senate begins its work on the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, we are pleased that senators are taking time to think about the needs of the 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men in our country who have experienced sexual assault.”

The National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV) works to end sexual violence and ensure services for victims. The NAESV Board of Directors consists of leaders of state sexual assault coalitions and national law, policy, and tribal experts who promote the organization’s mission to advance and strengthen public policy on behalf of state coalitions, individuals, and other entities working to end sexual violence. Most importantly, the NAESV advocates on behalf of the victim/survivors—women, children and men—who have needlessly suffered the serious trauma of sexual violence and envisions a world free from sexual violence. For more information, visit www.naesv.org.

Below is a summary of what happened this week with bills that the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) is tracking through the state legislature. We included links to each bill, so that you can read the text.  All bills over $150,000 are sent to suspense and reconsidered later in the legislative session.

Assembly Judiciary Committee

AB 1081 (Torrico) Electronic monitoring: domestic violence.
Status: Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
CALCASA Position: Watch

Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee

SB 496 (Maldonado) Real estate: sex offenders.
Status: 4/28/2009 Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S. Set, first hearing. Failed passage in committee. (Ayes 2. Noes 3. Page 705.) Reconsideration granted.
CALCASA Position: Concerns

Assembly Public Safety Committee

AB 17 (Swanson) Human trafficking.
Status: 4/28/2009 Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
CALCASA Position: Support

AB 768 (Torres) Elder abuse.
Status: 4/28/2009 From committee: Do pass, and re-refer to Com. on APPR. Re-referred. (Ayes 4. Noes 0.) (April 28).
CALCASA Position: Support

AB 988 (Brownley) Human trafficking: civil actions: training of caseworkers.
Status: 4/28/2009 From committee: Do pass, and re-refer to Com. on APPR. Re-referred. (Ayes 6. Noes 1.) (April 28).
CALCASA Position: Support

AB 1392 (Tran) Vandalism: Graffiti and Gang Technology Fund.
Status: 4/28/2009 From committee: Do pass, and re-refer to Com. on APPR. Re-referred. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (April 28).
CALCASA Position: Watch, Spot Bill

Senate Public Safety Committee

SB 110 (Liu) People with disabilities: victims of crime.
Status: 4/28/2009 Do pass as amended, and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations.
CALCASA Position: Support

SB 174 (Strickland) Public safety and welfare.
Status: 4/28/2009 Do pass as amended, and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations.
CALCASA Position: Watch, Spot Bill

SB 203 (Harman) Child pornography: separate offense per child: Internet distribution.
Status: 4/28/2009 Set, first hearing. Held in committee without recommendation.
CALCASA Position: Support

SB 265 (Runner) Parole: violators.
Status: 4/28/2009 Set, second hearing. Failed passage in committee. (Ayes 2. Noes 4. Page 704.) Reconsideration granted.
CALCASA Position: Watch

SB 314 (Calderon) Crime victims.
Status: 4/29/2009 From committee: Do pass, but first be re-referred to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 704.) Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
CALCASA Position: Support

SB 432 (Runner) Crime victims: restitution.
Status: 4/28/2009 Do pass as amended, and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations.
CALCASA Position: Support

SB 496 (Maldonado) Real estate: sex offenders.
Status: 4/28/2009 Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S. Set, first hearing. Failed passage in committee. (Ayes 2. Noes 3. Page 705.) Reconsideration granted.
CALCASA Position: Concerns

SB 504 (Runner) Sex offenders: monitoring by global positioning systems.
Status: 4/27/2009 Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
CALCASA Position: Watch

SB 564 (Hollingsworth) Sexually violent predators.
Status: 4/28/2009 Do pass as amended, and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations.
CALCASA Position: Questions

SB 566 (Hollingsworth) Monitoring devices: unauthorized removal, disabling, or tampering.
Status: 4/28/2009 Set, first hearing. Held in committee without recommendation.
CALCASA Position: Support

SB 583 (Hollingsworth) Sex offenders.
Status: 4/28/2009 Do pass as amended, and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations.
CALCASA Position: Support

SB 584 (Hollingsworth) Sex offenders: Internet access.
Status: 4/28/2009 Set, second hearing. Held in committee without recommendation.
CALCASA Position: Watch

SB 668 (Hollingsworth) Sex offenders.
Status: 4/28/2009 Do pass as amended, and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations.
CALCASA Position: Support

SB 669 (Hollingsworth) Sexually violent predators.
Status: 4/28/2009 Do pass as amended.
CALCASA Position: Support

SB 689 (Hollingsworth) Sex offenders: sexually violent predators: monitoring information.
Status: 4/28/2009 Set, first hearing. Failed passage in committee. (Ayes 2. Noes 4. Page 706.) Reconsideration granted.
CALCASA Position: Support

SB 733 (Leno) Crime victims: trauma center grants.
Status: 4/29/2009 From committee: Do pass, but first be re-referred to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 707.) Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
CALCASA Position: Concerns

Assembly Appropriations Committee

AB 16 (Swanson) Human trafficking.
Status: 4/29/2009 In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
CALCASA Position: Support

AB 168 (Nava) Juvenile case files: sexually violent predator proceedings.
Status: 4/29/2009 In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
CALCASA Position: Support

AB 503 (Furutani) Battered women’s shelters: grant program.
Status: 4/30/2009 From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (April 29).
CALCASA Position: Support

AB 731 (Villines) Child abuse sentencing: child becoming comatose or suffering paralysis.
Status:4/29/2009 In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
CALCASA Position: Support

AB 807 (Fuentes) Restitution centers.
Status: 4/29/2009 In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
CALCASA Position: Questions

Senate Education Committee

SB 188 (Runner ) Temporary restraining orders: schools.
Status: 4/30/2009 From committee: Do pass, but first be re-referred to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
CALCASA Position: Questions

Senate Health Committee

SB 273 (Corbett) Domestic violence.
Status: 4/29/2009 Do pass as amended, and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations.
CALCASA Position: Watch

To read a complete list of bills being tracked by CALCASA, click here.

Human Rights Watch released a new report today about the backlog of rape kits in Los Angeles County. Sarah Tofte, the Human Rights Watch researcher who authored the report, presented the results of her findings to the press and public earlier this morning.

The 68-page report “reveals that the backlog of untested rape kits in Los Angeles County is larger and more widespread than previously reported. Through dozens of interviews with police officers, public officials, criminalists, rape treatment providers, and rape victims, the report documents the devastating effects of the backlog on victims of sexual abuse.”

Untested sexual assault kits at the Los Angeles Police Department storage facility. © 2009 Patricia Williams

Some facts from the report:

• Los Angeles County has the largest known rape kit backlog in the nation, with at least 12,000 rape kits sitting in storage facilities.
• Testing a rape kit can identify the assailant, confirm the presence of a suspect, corroborate the victim’s account of the sexual assault, and exonerate innocent defendants.
• The report contains the first public data on the extent of the rape kit backlog in the 47 independent police departments outside of the LASD and LAPD.
• The rape kit backlog in Los Angeles represents lost justice for rape victims, and raises serious questions about government responsibility to prevent and protect against sexual violence.

ABC News 10: “Paroled sex offenders say new cuts to housing assistance will likely force more of them into the streets at greater risk to public safety.”

Next week, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDRC) announces new policies, including a stricter 60-day limit on paying rent for parolees newly released from prison. The agency says in the past 12 months, the state has paid out almost $20 million in housing assistance for 7,897 parolees. Almost 5,000 of those parolees are convicted sex offenders.

“A lot of the guys are of the mentality that I’m not gonna do this, ya know, and they’re gonna just cut the (GPS) monitors off and go. I mean, I hear guys talking about it every day,” said a 57-year-old sex offender parolee named Russ. He was just booted from his room at a downtown Sacramento hotel because his parole agent said the state won’t pay his $485 rent anymore. Russ isn’t sure what his next move will be, but he said many he knows could likely turn to their old ways without a place to live.

Listen to the story here:

Earlier this week, “MySpace provided two state attorneys general the names of 90,000 registered sex offenders it had banned from its site in response to a subpoena.”

According to Attorney General Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, the figure is 40,000 more than the amount previously acknowledged by MySpace. Both Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Attorney General Roy Cooper of North Carolina “are among officials pressing social networking sites to adopt more stringent safety measures.”

Click here to continue reading.

The Sacramento Bee reported earlier this morning that Senate President Darrell Steinberg said “that both houses of the Legislature are planning a budget vote sometime next week, though the Democratic leader was careful to say no final agreement had been reached.”

Read more by clicking here.

Note: Image from the Sacramento Bee

The New York Times (NYT) featured a few interesting stories on sexual harassment earlier this week:

• Teaching Teenagers About Harassment talks about a teen dating violence prevention campaign recently launched by the Family Violence Prevention Fund. This campaign was introduced last year in a Prevention Connection web conference, the archive of which can be viewed by clicking here.

• Court Expands Ability to Sue in Sexual Harassment Investigations: This article talks about the Supreme Court ruling on Monday that allows employees who are fired after cooperating in sexual harassment investigations to sue for retaliation.

The Associated Press reported this morning that, “an estimated 3.4 million Americans identified themselves as victims of stalking during a one-year span, according to federal crime experts who on Tuesday released the largest-ever survey of the aggravating and often terrifying phenomenon.”

About half of the victims experienced at least one unwanted contact per week from a stalker, and 11 percent had been stalked for five or more years, according to the report by the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics. It covered a 12-month period in 2005-06.

The study was described as a groundbreaking effort to analyze the scope and varying forms of stalking, which had not been featured in previous versions of the National Crime Victimization Survey.

Late this morning, Department of Justice officials from the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) participated in a conference call with reporters about the BJS special report, Stalking Victimization in the United States.

Following this discussion, Cindy Dyer, Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) participated in a briefing about the findings and the impact of stalking on women who are victimized.

Read the full article by clicking here.

The Detroit Free Press recently did a special report about sexual violence in Michigan women’s prisons and highlighted Toni Bunton’s story.

Bunton was convicted for her role in a 1991 drug shooting and during her time in prison she was subjected to sexual assaults at Scott Correctional Facility in Plymouth. Bunton said: “People don’t know what goes on inside prison. I want people to know this is going on in your backyard, and you might not care because it might not affect you, but you should care. This is not really about sexual harassment. This is about civil rights, basic fundamental rights of human beings.”

For years, rights groups warned that male guards were sexually assaulting female inmates in Michigan prisons. For years, those warnings went unheeded. Now, state taxpayers may pay a price too. More than 500 women are suing. They stand to collect $50 million so far, with more trials to come. This is their story:

• Part 1: Sexual assaults on female inmates went unheeded
• Part 2: Stakes were high as prisoners’ rape trial finally began
• Part 3: Female inmate described rapes in lawsuit against state
• Part 4: Jury awarded $15.4 million to inmates
• Part 5: After 16 years, Toni Bunton’s sentence is commuted

Today Senator Alquist introduced Senate Bill 46, a bill CALCASA is sponsoring. SB 46 (Alquist) would eliminate the statute of limitations for sexual assault. Currently, the only offenses that have no statute of limitations include crimes punishable by death, life imprisonment, imprisonment without the possibility of parole, and crimes involving the embezzlement of public money. The statute of limitations for most forms of rape however is 10 years unless DNA evidence identifies a potential defendant.

We know that sexual assault is one of the most underreported crimes and victims should not be penalized for delayed reporting. The emotional suffering does not end when the statute of limitations expires; this bill seeks to protect and vindicate those victims who do not or cannot come forward within the currently allotted time limit.

It is vital that California takes steps to encourage victims to come forward and report these violent crimes. We want to send a message to offenders that California doesn’t lose interest in these crimes or their victims.

While prompt reporting is optimal, the trauma that many victims experience as a result of their attack may make timely reporting impossible. Sexual assault claims shouldn’t be dismissed simply because of an arbitrary timeline – victims deserve a chance at receiving justice no matter when a crime occurred.

News Channel 10 aired a segment on a report released Thursday, by the California Sex Offender Management Board entitled Homelessness Among Registered Sex Offenders in California: the Numbers, the Risks, and the Response.

You can view the full television segment below and read the full report, by clicking here.

Yesterday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said California’s budget deficit has increased to nearly $15 billion and warned “that the state faces ‘financial Armageddon’ unless lawmakers take decisive action.”

The projection of a $14.8 billion gap at the end of the fiscal year in June surfaced just a month after the governor announced an $11.2 billion shortfall, and the deteriorating economy is likely to make the problem even worse next year, Schwarzenegger said.

If no action is taken, California could face a deficit as great as “$40 billion by June 2010, an administration official said.”

Earlier this afternoon the Governor met with legislative leaders this afternoon to discuss the budget and “Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill declared legislative negotiations with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger essentially dead after an apparently hostile meeting Thursday in the governor’s office,” as reported by the Sacramento Bee.

For more on the budget read:

• Budget meeting blows up
• State deficit nearly $15 billion, governor says
• California nears ‘financial Armageddon,’ governor warns

If you haven’t already been using Google Reader, please read on to find out more about this tool. Google Reader, is useful tool that will help you stay connected to the work we do at CALCASA and that our members do on a daily basis.

Why use Google Reader?

RSS changed the “standard for publishing material on the web.” Users no longer have to visit dozens of web sites every day to find content. Content now comes to the user through Feed Readers, like Google Reader.

Common Craft provides an excellent synopsis of how to use Google Reader:

For more on getting started with Google Reader, time savers, trends, advanced options and more, read: How To Use Google Reader Like A Rockstar

• Learn more about RSS and Twitter by clicking here.

During the next few weeks, key members of Congress and the Senate will be working on a series of appropriations bills for the 2009 fiscal year. Currently, the government is operating under a continuing resolution, commensurate with their current spending levels. Congressional leadership would like to increase spending and rework some of their priorities for the rest of 2009.

One area of particular interest to CALCASA and its members will be funding for Sexual Assault Service Programs (SASP). As you know, SASP supports vital services such as advocacy, prevention services and campus based services.

Please join us in telling Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Jerry Lewis about how important sexual assault victims services are for the State of California. Click “Take Action“ to visit CALCASA’s Grassroots Action Center to send your message to Speaker Pelosi and Rep. Lewis.

CDCR’s mission is to “enhance public safety through safe and secure incarceration of offenders, effective parole supervision, and rehabilitative strategies to successfully reintegrate offenders into our communities.” CDCR is organized into departments, each tasked with a different component of that mission.

Click here to read CDCR’s full vision, mission and value statement.

Leadership

Matthew Cate was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on May 16, 2008, as Secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Prior to this appointment, Mr. Cate was appointed as Inspector General by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in March 2004 and subsequently confirmed by the state senate to that position. As Inspector General, Mr. Cate was responsible for public oversight of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Since 2007, he also served as the chair of the California Rehabilitation Oversight Board and in that capacity was responsible for reporting to the state legislature on the progress made by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in fulfilling its obligation to provide effective rehabilitative programs to California’s inmates and parolees.

Click here to continue reading Secretary Cate’s biography.

CDCR Programs that Support Victims of Sexual Violence

CDCR is an important ally to sexual violence victim advocates for a number of reasons.

The Department’s Office of Victim & Survivor Rights and Services maintains a comprehensive victim services program and are charged with providing assistance and communications to victims of crime. Victims and survivors have a legal right to receive notification of an offender’s death, release, or escape. They also have a legal right to be notified of, and to attend, annual case reviews for Juvenile Offenders and parole consideration hearings. Additionally, they have a constitutional right to receive restitution for economic losses resulting from crimes committed against them.

As part of our work at CALCASA, we strive to ensure the safety and security of victims/survivors of sexual assault while preventing future assaults. Both of these goals are enhanced when we work closely with the people responsible for supervision of offenders when they are released into communities. As such, we spend a great deal of time talking to CDCR about effective management, ensuring that offenders have the best supervision that California can give them, and helping to reduce sexual violence in our communities.

Finally, we know that many people under CDCR’s jurisdiction have their own history as victims of sexual violence. Whether victims before entering the penal system or those who are victimized during their incarceration, we as advocates have taken a stand against this crime no matter where it happens or to whom.

CDCR – Looking Forward

Download and review CDCR’s Strategic Plan by clicking here.

More Leadership Profiles

Click here to read our Leadership Profile of the Office of Emergency Services.

Week of November 10th

Analyst says state deficit may near $28 billion

The San Francisco Chronicle reported last week that “California’s budget deficit could reach nearly $28 billion over the next two years unless drastic steps – including raising new taxes – are taken to stem the fiscal bleeding, the nonpartisan legislative analyst’s office said Tuesday.”

California Crime Victims Groups Meet, Discuss Policy Making

CALCASA hosted a meeting Wednesday with representatives from several state agencies and statewide victim groups. Many of the groups, having collaborated before on a number of issues, agreed to participate in ongoing meetings over the course of the legislative session. Says Robert Coombs of CALCASA: “Victim services are often overlooked in the legislature, they aren’t as salient to politicians as ‘tough on crime’ bills. But if we have any vision of public safety, California has to acknowledge that a core responsibility is to the victims of crime. This is a particularly challenging year to highlight that, so we are pleased to be able to connect with our partners around the state to help bring the focus back around to victim services.”

Click here to continue reading.

L.A. County sheriff’s officials acknowledge that genetic evidence in 5,635 rape cases may be untested

By Joel Rubin

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, under pressure from county supervisors and watchdog groups to account for its handling of DNA evidence from sexual assault cases, acknowledged Wednesday it did not know whether genetic evidence from more than 5,600 rape cases had been examined.

In response to an inquiry by the Board of Supervisors last month, Sheriff’s Department officials tallied 5,635 sexual assault evidence kits — semen and other DNA samples collected by authorities from victims — sitting in freezer storage facilities, Cmdr. Earl Shields said. The department must now manually compare that inventory with records from its crime laboratory to determine which kits remain unexamined, Shields told the board Wednesday.

Raped in the Military? You May Have to Pay for Your Own Forensic Exam Kit

By Penny Coleman, AlterNet

Sarah Palin’s decision not to pay for rape kits when she was mayor of Walsilla was an issue in the campaign for the White House. But allow me to introduce the large pink elephant that has been sitting quietly in the corner of the room:

At the Winter Soldier Investigation in March, Spec. Patricia McCann, who served in Iraq with the Illinois Army National Guard from 2003-4, read a memo issued to all MEDCOM commanders clarifying that “SAD kits”– which are forensic rape kits–”are not included in TRICARE coverage.”

TRICARE, the United States Department of Defense Military Health System that covers active duty members, will only pay for rape kits if the victim is seen in a military or a VA facility.

UC Davis CAARE Center wins Freddie Health Care Video Award

Rocklin Today, reported last week that the “UC Davis Children’s Hospital Child and Adolescent Abuse Resources and Evaluation Diagnostic and Treatment (CAARE) Center has won a prestigious FREDDIE international health care media award for its video Compassionate Care: An Overview of the Sexual Assault Clinical Forensic Medical Exam.”

Click here to continue reading.

Fashion designer Anand Jon guilty of rape

An L.A. jury convicted Anand Jon, a designer, of sexually assaulting seven girls and young women, whom he lured to his apartment with the promise of modeling jobs. He faces life in prison.

Rocklin Today, reported over the weekend that the “UC Davis Children’s Hospital Child and Adolescent Abuse Resources and Evaluation Diagnostic and Treatment (CAARE) Center has won a prestigious FREDDIE international health care media award for its video Compassionate Care: An Overview of the Sexual Assault Clinical Forensic Medical Exam.”

“Compassionate Care” presents a complete overview of the forensic medical evidentiary examination for a sexual assault victim, conducted according to the State of California protocol. In the hour-long video, the viewer follows a young woman, portrayed by actress Hope Wells, from the time of her assault and report to law enforcement to her referral to a sexual assault forensic examiner.

The forensic examiner in the film is UC Davis Medical Center nurse practitioner Leslie Schmidt, who has conducted over 1,000 forensic medical exams as a member of the UC Davis sexual assault forensic examiner team. Schmidt takes the victim and the viewer through each step of the exam, beginning with the patient/victim’s consent, and continuing through the forensic interview, evidence collection and packaging, the cervical examination, documentation of findings and pregnancy prophylaxis.

Click here to continue reading the article.

The 2008 California legislative session has come to a close. The Legislature passed many of CALCASA’s priority support bills before the end-of-session deadline and sent them to the Governor for his signature or veto.

The following is a summary CALCASA supported bills that were signed into law:

AB 717 by Assemblymember Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield) expands access to mental care services for victims and increases the amount of compensation a victim may receive from the Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board (VCGCB) for outpatient mental health counseling from $3,000 to $5,000.

AB 2043 by Assemblymember Todd Spitzer (R-Orange) authorizes the California Crime Victims’ Memorial Foundation to plan and construct a memorial in the State Capitol Park honoring California residents who are victims of crime.

AB 2928, authored by Assemblyman Todd Spitzer (R-Orange), was signed by the Governor late last week. This bill helps victims of crime continue to collect restitution after offenders are released from prison or parole. Click here to learn more.

AB 2304 by Assemblymember George Plescia (R-San Diego) protects the name changes of participants in the Safe at Home program from being published by the court in any public form.

AB 2289 Runner (R-Lancaster) codifies the rights of victims of juvenile offenders, affording them the same rights as victims of adult offenders regarding access to information, notification and hearings/proceedings regardless of the age of the offender.

AB 2410 Nava (D-Santa Barbara) protects the identifying information, including name, address and telephone number, of victim witnesses who testify in civil sexual violent predator proceedings.

AB 2960 La Malfa (R-Biggs) automatically denies ex parte custody changes when the requester is alleged to have sexually abused the child.

SB 129 Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) expands existing harassment/stalking law to include newer electronic communications and to include locations outside of the victim’s home.

SB 1356 Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) “will prevent judges from jailing domestic violence victims who refuse to testify against their abuser, giving those victims a protection similar to that already afforded to victims of sexual assault.” The California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, sponsored SB 1356. Nearly, 1/3 of CALCASA’s member agencies provide domestic violence services and CALCASA strongly supports this incredibly important legislation on behalf of our sister coalition and members.

In light of the tremendous budget deficit, this is a great show for CALCASA Public Policy and we hope to see continued successes at the Capitol. A big thanks to all of the CALCASA members who have sent letters or subscribed to the Grassroots Online Advocacy Center. Many of these bills would not have been as successful without the hundreds of letters we have seen from you!

For a complete list of legislation tracked by the CALCASA this year, go to www.calcasapublicpolicy.org and click on “Legislative Agenda” then “2008 Bill Tracking.”

Week of October 27th

California Proposition Information

This election season, California’s ballot will include 12 statewide initiatives and referenda, many of which have indirect effect on the work of sexual violence victims and their advocates. While CALCASA has not taken formal support or opposition to any of the initiatives, there are a number that we urge our members to pay close attention to. The following is a primer on types of initiatives along with a list of those initiatives that we believe are either related to the work of CALCASA members, or have been marketed as such. We hope you take these observations into consideration, and that you vote on Nov. 4th.

Click here to continue reading.

Sexual Trauma Haunts Many Female Vets

Last week, the LA Times reported that “one in seven female soldiers who were deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan and later sought healthcare for any reason reported being sexually harassed or assaulted during their military service, according to a study by Veterans Affairs researchers.” The study indicated that 0.7% of male soldiers reported similar experiences.

Click here to continue reading.

“Victims of Sexual Abuse Get Heard”

Marcia G. Yerman recently wrote an article highlighting the use of new media tools used to “to support voices that don’t get represented on either side of the political spectrum.”

Click here to continue reading.

Financial stress blamed for spike in activity at S.J. women’s center

Over the last few months The Women’s Center of San Joaquin County “has seen a 30 percent increase in the number of people who call seeking emergency shelter, temporary restraining orders and counseling – a trend that advocates say relates directly to the financial stress troubling many of the area’s families.”

Click here to continue reading.

L.A. announces plan to reduce backlog of unexamined DNA evidence from violent crimes

LA city officials announced on Tuesday a “plan to help the Los Angeles Police Department’s crime lab reduce its massive backlog of unexamined DNA evidence from violent crimes, but they acknowledged that the funding for the proposal was less than certain.”

Click here to continue reading.

Tracking sex offenders

Last week, on Wednesday, “dozens of law enforcement officers knocked on doors and searched residences across San Joaquin County…checking on registered sex offenders living in the unincorporated areas.” The aim of the sweep “was to ensure compliance with Megan’s Law, which requires sex offenders to register with local law enforcement agencies annually, within five days of a change of address.”

Click here to continue reading.

Court: Ga. sex offender law is unfair to homeless

Georgia’s top court ruled Monday that a provision in Georgia’s strict new sex offender law is unconstitutional because it fails to tell homeless offenders how they can comply with the law.

Click here to continue reading.

RH Reality Check posted an opinion piece highlighting the work done by Senator Biden on the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) as well as the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA), today:

…There’s no question VAWA has made an impact on women’s lives at home. But what people may not know is that Biden is also the co-writer of a bill currently in committee called the International Violence Against Women Act. I-VAWA is backed by three major NGOs, Amnesty International USA, Women Thrive Worldwide, and the Family Violence Prevention Fund, and the support of dozens more.

Click here to read the post.

Jean Ortiz , a journalist with the Associated Press, reported earlier this week that the U.S. Supreme Court has “refused to hear an appeal involving a case in which a Nebraska judge banned anyone from saying ‘rape’ in a sexual assault trial.”

Lawyers for Tory Bowen had argued that Lancaster County District Judge Jeffre Cheuvront violated their client’s constitutional rights by barring her from using such words as “rape kit” and “victim” during her testimony in the trial. The judge said he banned the language because was concerned about the accused’s right to a fair trial.

While restricting Bowen’s testimony, Cheuvront allowed attorneys for Pamir Safi to use such words as “sex” and “intercourse” to describe the encounter between Safi and Bowen.

Bowen says Safi sexually assaulted her in October 2004 while she was too intoxicated to give consent. Safi maintains the sex was consensual.The Associated Press usually does not identify accusers in sexual assault cases, but Bowen has allowed her name to be used publicly because of the issue over the judge’s language restrictions.

Bowen attorney Wendy Murphy said in an e-mail Monday that she was disappointed but not surprised by the high court’s decision.

“Tory Bowen and this case will forever be known as the beginning of reform on this important issue, because we laid the groundwork for the inevitable day when judges will stop making such ridiculous rulings,” Murphy said.

A mistrial was declared in Safi’s first trial in November 2006 when the jury deadlocked. Bowen said afterward that the judge’s ban had a negative effect on her testimony, causing her to pause to ensure her words didn’t violate the order.

Cheuvront declared a second mistrial in July 2007 during jury selection, citing news coverage and public protests on Bowen’s behalf.

Bowen sued Cheuvront over the language ban. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that Bowen failed to prove that he should intervene. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal, saying the federal court didn’t have jurisdiction.

The case was listed Monday among those the Supreme Court declined to hear. Prosecutors previously said they decided not to pursue a third trial.

Week of October 13th

Governor signs legislation to protect sexually exploited minors

Kamika Dunlap, a journalist with InsideBayArea.com, reported last week “when police pick up children younger than 18 on the street caught in the sex trade they now will be required to identify and treat them as sexually exploited minors instead of criminals.:

AB 499 was recently signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The law is “designed to provide a safety net for minors who have been forced into prostitution, child pornography or human trafficking.”

Click here to continue reading.

Prop. 6 draws millions from state

Thomas Watkins, a journalist with the Associated Press, reported on Proposition 6 last week. Watkins pointed out that Prop. 6 will lead to “longer prison sentences for some offenders. New powers to build temporary jails. Millions in tax dollars for the fight against gangs. Proposition 6 reads like a tough-on-crime wish list and has broad support with law enforcement.”

Trouble is, the money – at least $365 million a year – has to come from somewhere. Squeezing that cash from a strapped general fund while the state faces budget deficits has prompted opposition from key interest groups that fear that the initiative would be implemented at the expense of education spending, intervention programs and other vital services.

Proposition 6 also includes a modification to Jessica’s Law, “which did not identify who would pay for the global positioning systems and left hundreds of offenders without them. The initiative would allocate $15 million to counties for GPS funding.”

Biden Bill to Protect Children from Internet Predators Becomes Law

Press Release from Senator Biden’s office

Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr.’s (D-DE) Protect Our Children Act (S.1738), legislation designed to address the growing problem of online child exploitation, has been signed into law. The bipartisan bill creates a strong nationwide network of highly trained law enforcement experts to track down these offenders and put them behind bars. On September 15, Oprah Winfrey, a long-time advocate for protecting children, called on her viewers to urge their Senators to support this bill to protect children from sexual predators. Last month, the Senate passed Sen. Biden’s bill with 60 cosponsors from both sides of the aisle.

Click here to continue reading.

Cindy Dyer to Deliver Keynote at Men’s DVAM Panel

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and “a great deal of outreach…is directed towards women, one organization hopes to end domestic abuse by doing the exact opposite – directing awareness towards young men. Studies show the need to educate young men early; 69% of teens who had sex by age 14 say they have experienced an abusive relationship.

Next Monday, policy makers and violence prevention leaders will be in New York for “Women and Men as Allies in Preventing Men’s Violence Against Women.” The upcoming panel discussion will be “hosted by international gender-violence prevention leader, Men Can Stop Rape, Inc. (MCSR).”

Click here to continue reading.

Court: End domestic-violence program discrimination

The Sacramento Bee’s Denny Walsh reported last week that a “Sacramento-based appellate court has ordered a halt to what it said is unconstitutional gender discrimination in state-funded domestic violence programs.”

On Tuesday, “a three-justice panel of the 3rd District Court of Appeal ruled that two California statutes are written in a way that discriminates against men and they authorize domestic violence grants with the same flaw. The panel ordered the statutes rewritten to make them gender neutral and allow for domestic-violence services without regard to gender.”

Click here to continue reading the post.

Week of October 6th

Senator Barack Obama on Domestic Violence Awareness Month

On October 1st Senator Obama made the following statement acknowledging October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

“On Capitol Hill”

The Non-Profit Times recently published an article, called “On Capitol Hill.” The article focuses on a new Senate caucus that will “help educate those on The Hill about the nonprofit sector.”

Deputy DA Held On Sexual Assault Charges Gets Court Date

A senior Contra Costa County Deputy District Attorney who was arrested Thursday on suspicion of raping a colleague is scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 21, according to the California attorney general’s office.

State prosecutors would have had to file charges against the attorney, Michael Gressett, Monday, but because he was able to post bail Friday, they now have until his arraignment date to decide whether to charge him, said Dana Simas, a spokeswoman for the attorney general’s office.

Sex offenders file civil rights lawsuit

LONG BEACH – Attorneys representing 35 registered sex offenders filed a civil rights lawsuit this week aimed at a strict sex offender ordinance that the City Council passed in March.

The Press-Telegram also noted that, “the lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Long Beach, says the city’s sex offender ordinance violates Constitutional rights and is too vague. The measure builds on existing state law to restrict where sex offenders may live or loiter, but city officials suspended enforcement of the ordinance in April.”

On October 1st Senator Obama made the following statement acknowledging October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

“Today, I join all Americans in observing Domestic Violence Awareness Month. At a time when one in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime, it’s more important than ever that we dedicate ourselves to working on behalf of the thousands of women who suffer in silence.

“Too often, victims of domestic violence don’t know where to turn, or have no one to turn to. And too often, a victim could be someone you love. That’s why, as a State Senator, I led the fight in Illinois to pass one of the strongest employment protection laws in the nation, ensuring that victims of domestic violence could seek shelter or treatment without losing their jobs.That’s why I introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate to provide $25 million a year to domestic violence prevention and victim support efforts. That’s why I co-sponsored and helped reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. And today, I am so proud to have Senator Joe Biden, the man who wrote that groundbreaking legislation that gave so many women a second chance at life, as my running mate in this campaign.

“As President, I’ll make these efforts a national priority. This month, and every month, we must fight to bring domestic violence out of the darkness of isolation and into the light of justice, especially for minority and immigrant women, and women in every community where it goes unreported far too often. We’ll stop treating this as just a woman’s issue, and start recognizing that when a woman is attacked, that abuse scars not only the victim, but her loved ones, sending currents of violence that ripple across our society. We need all hands on deck to address this – neighbors willing to report suspected crimes, families willing to help loved ones seek treatment, and community leaders willing to candidly discuss this issue in public and break the stigma that stops so many women from coming forward. Together, we’ll make it clear that no woman ever struggles alone.”

For more information, please contact Senator Obama’s Press Office at: 312-819-2423

Note: We contacted Senator McCain’s campaign to find out if he released a statement about Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but they have not returned our phone call.

The budgetary woes have left many in legislative drought, but CALCASA has already seen its share of successes. Yesterday, Governor Schwarzenegger signed 3 CALCASA supported bills. Each of these bills have been chaptered and will become state law as of January 1, 2009. Below is a brief summary of the bills:

• AB 2043 by Assemblymember Todd Spitzer (R-Orange) authorizes the California Crime Victims’ Memorial Foundation to plan and construct a memorial in the State Capitol Park honoring California residents who are victims of crime.
• AB 717 by Assemblymember Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield) expands access to mental care services for victims and increases the amount of compensation a victim may receive from the Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board (VCGCB) for outpatient mental health counseling from $3,000 to $5,000.
• AB 2304 by Assemblymember George Plescia (R-San Diego) protects the name changes of participants in the Safe at Home program from being published by the court in any public form.

Governor Schwarzenegger said in a recent press release that, “Public safety is not just about prosecuting criminals, it is also about addressing the needs of the victims of those criminals. By signing this legislation we are respecting crime victims and recognizing the tremendous strength that can be shown in the face of adversity. Establishing a permanent tribute provides a place for Californians to reflect on the memory of crime victims and their rights. It reinforces the importance of protecting crime victims and providing them with the resources they need to heal.”

Earlier this year, the Governor signed a series of CALCASA supported bills that protects the identifying information of victim witnesses who testify in civil sexual violent predator proceedings, expands existing harassment/stalking law to include newer electronic communications, and expands rights for victims of juvenile offenders.

For the last few weeks, a variety media sources have been talking about the controversy surrounding Sarah Palin and what role she might have had in charging rape victims for their own forensic examinations while she was mayor of Wasilla, Alaska.

USA Today reported earlier this week that, “In 2000, Alaska lawmakers learned that rural police agencies had been billing rape victims or their insurance companies $500 to $1,200 for the costs of the forensic medical examinations used to gather evidence. They quickly passed a law prohibiting the practice.” There were, however, a few rural law enforcement agencies that were adamantly opposed to changing these statutory provisions, and according to USA Today, in particular was the Wasilla Chief of Police.

Democrat Eric Croft, the former state representative who sponsored the law changing the practice, says it seems unlikely Palin was not aware of the issue. Croft said, “I find it hard to believe that for six months a small town, a police chief, would lead the fight against a statewide piece of legislation receiving unanimous support and the mayor not know about it.”

Despite these public statements by her Chief of Police, there does not seem to be any direct statements or documents that describe Palins’ position related to payment for forensic exams. After investigation, CNN found “…no evidence that Palin knew that rape victims were being charged in her town.”

What is in evidence, is an analysis of how the city budget was constructed and approved. Specifically, the Huffington Post found through recently released budget documents “that Sarah Palin directly shifted the cost of the rape kits from the police department to the victims in her budget for fiscal year 2000.” Budget documents for the 1999-2000 fiscal year were reviewed in this article.

To learn more, please read:

• CNN: “Palin’s town charged women for rape exams”
• USA Today: “Palin’s town used to bill victims for rape kits”
• Huffington Post: “New Evidence: Palin Had Direct Role In Charging Rape Victims For Exams”

OpEds:

• Wasilla Watch: Sarah Palin and the Rape Kits
• A Culture of Violence Against Women: More Than Rape Kits

Fred Strebeigh wrote a statement on Senator Joseph Biden and the history of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), earlier this week.

Strebeigh piece provides an interesting perspective on the VAWA and Senator Biden’s role in authoring the legislation.

VAWA is a federal act that provides funding to rape crisis centers throughout the country for prevention and response to sexual violence and “Biden has proclaimed it the ‘most important legislative accomplishment’ of his Senate career.”

The piece appeared in The New Republic: A Journal of Politics and the Arts.

Week of September 1st

CALCASA Legislative Wins…

The budgetary woes have left many in legislative drought, but CALCASA has already seen its share of successes. During July, Governor Schwarzenegger signed 5 CALCASA supported bills. Each of these bills have been chaptered and will become state law as of January 1, 2009. Below is a brief summary of the bills:

• AB 2289 Runner (R-Lancaster) codifies the rights of victims of juvenile offenders, affording them the same rights as victims of adult offenders regarding access to information, notification and hearings/proceedings regardless of the age of the offender.
• AB 2410 Nava (D-Santa Barbara) protects the identifying information, including name, address and telephone number, of victim witnesses who testify in civil sexual violent predator proceedings.
• AB 2960 La Malfa (R-Biggs) automatically denies ex parte custody changes when the requester is alleged to have sexually abused the child.
• SB 129 Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) expands existing harassment/stalking law to include newer electronic communications and to include locations outside of the victim’s home.
• SB 1356 Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) “will prevent judges from jailing domestic violence victims who refuse to testify against their abuser, giving those victims a protection similar to that already afforded to victims of sexual assault.” The California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, sponsored SB 1356. Nearly, 1/3 of CALCASA’s member agencies provide domestic violence services and CALCASA strongly supports this incredibly important legislation on behalf of our sister coalition and members.

In light of the tremendous budget deficit, this is a great show for CALCASA Public Policy and we hope to see continued successes at the Capitol. A big thanks to all of the CALCASA members who have sent letters or subscribed to the Grassroots Online Advocacy Center. Many of these bills would not have been as successful without the hundreds of letters we have seen from you!

New Resource: Improving Law Enforcement Responses to People with Mental Illnesses

The Justice Center Council of State Governments recently released Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses: The Essential Elements of a Specialized Law Enforcement–Based Program. It focuses on “improving law enforcement officers’ responses to people with mental illnesses.”

Click here to continue reading.

After rape, Sacramento woman lobbies for cruise-ship safety law

The Sacramento Bee featured a story about Laurie Dishman last week. Dishman, is a member of the CALCASA Speaker’s Bureau, was a keynote speaker at Denim Day ‘07, and has been advocating to change cruise industry policies.

Click here to continue reading.

ABC Los Angeles: “Carson seeks sex offender ‘cluster’ ban”

Last week, the “Carson City Council unanimously passed an urgency ordinance to allow only one sex offender per dwelling.”

Jessica’s Law, allows up to “12 sex offenders to live in one dwelling at least 2,000 feet from parks and schools.” Some community members have told officials that this is too close to their homes.

Click here to continue reading.

Former teacher enters guilty plea

A former Alisal Union School District teacher pleaded guilty Thursday to eight counts of child molestation, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office said.

From 2003 through early 2007, John Walter Hawthorne, 43, molested “a number of students” at two elementary schools – Martin Luther King Jr. Academy and Virginia Rocca Barton Elementary School, the District Attorney’s Office said.

The budgetary woes have left many in legislative drought, but CALCASA has already seen its share of successes. During July, Governor Schwarzenegger signed 5 CALCASA supported bills. Each of these bills have been chaptered and will become state law as of January 1, 2009. Below is a brief summary of the bills:

• AB 2289 Runner (R-Lancaster) codifies the rights of victims of juvenile offenders, affording them the same rights as victims of adult offenders regarding access to information, notification and hearings/proceedings regardless of the age of the offender.
• AB 2410 Nava (D-Santa Barbara) protects the identifying information, including name, address and telephone number, of victim witnesses who testify in civil sexual violent predator proceedings.
• AB 2960 La Malfa (R-Biggs) automatically denies ex parte custody changes when the requester is alleged to have sexually abused the child.
• SB 129 Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) expands existing harassment/stalking law to include newer electronic communications and to include locations outside of the victim’s home.
• SB 1356 Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) “will prevent judges from jailing domestic violence victims who refuse to testify against their abuser, giving those victims a protection similar to that already afforded to victims of sexual assault.” The California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, sponsored SB 1356. Nearly, 1/3 of CALCASA’s member agencies provide domestic violence services and CALCASA strongly supports this incredibly important legislation on behalf of our sister coalition and members.

In light of the tremendous budget deficit, this is a great show for CALCASA Public Policy and we hope to see continued successes at the Capitol. A big thanks to all of the CALCASA members who have sent letters or subscribed to the Grassroots Online Advocacy Center. Many of these bills would not have been as successful without the hundreds of letters we have seen from you!

Connections, the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (WCSAP)’s biannual journal, devoted their last publication to advocacy and sex offender management.

CALCASA’s Executive Director, Suzanne Brown-McBride, was interviewed for the issue. Connections noted that Brown-McBride is “one of the leading voices in the nation on sex offender management issues” and “brings a clear and also nuanced perspective on the role of survivors, communities and advocates as partners with law enforcement, corrections and sex offender treatment providers in the work of ending sexual violence.”

Click here to read: “A Place at the Table: Advocates and Sex Offender Management“

Earlier today, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously that “a sexual assault that leaves a victim pregnant may be punished more severely than one that did not result in pregnancy.”

The court ruled in the case of Gary W. Cross, who repeatedly had sexual intercourse with his 13-year-old stepdaughter while her mother worked. The teenager became pregnant, and Cross arranged for her to have an abortion. Because she was 22 weeks pregnant, she had to have a surgical abortion.

The court upheld a jury’s finding that the pregnancy amounted to “great bodily injury,” subjecting Cross to a tougher sentence. But the court said the abortion did not satisfy the legal test for such an injury because Cross did not personally perform it.

Click here to read the full story.

Today, the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, in conjunction with the California Veteran’s Affairs Committees, heard testimony from an expert panel on sexual assault in the military.

A variety of organizations testified at the hearing:

• Robert Coombs, CALCASA
• Ann McCarty, North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center
• Chief Bob May, California National Guard
• Major Eric Fry, California National Guard
• Piedad Garcia, Ed.D., San Diego Department of Mental Health
• Tia Christopher, Iraq Veteran Project Program Associate

Topics covered included: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), military sexual trauma (MST), services being provided to women veterans with PTSD and MST, successful models for mental health for women with PTSD and MST, among a variety of other issues.

Click here to download the information distributed at the hearing.

In other noteworthy news, the House of Representatives held an oversight hearing on sexual assault in the military last week.

Rep. Louise Slaughter reintroduced the Military Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Act. The act would institute a number of policies, such as:

• Establish an Office of Victims Advocate (OVA) within the Department of Defense
• Strengthen policies for reporting, prosecuting and treating perpetrators of violence
• Create counseling and treatment programs through the Department of Veterans Affairs; and
• Codify rights, restitution policies, treatment and other services for victims.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, “has proposed a temporary, one-cent increase in the state sales tax along with long-term budget reforms in an effort to break the stalemate in budget negotiations that have been stalled for more than a month, legislative sources close to the talks said Monday.”

According to the source, the plan will help “erase the state’s $17.2 billion budget deficit” by increasing the sales tax for three years.

Click here to continue reading the article.

Yesterday, MSNBC featured a story about sexual assault in the military. The story focuses on the prevalence of sexual assault in the military and the Pentagon’s response to the problem, which includes a new trauma ward and prevention strategy.

Click here to read the full story.

Week of July 7 and 14th

Budget compromise remains elusive

Ed Mendel reported earlier today that, “after seven years of deficits, lawmakers are talking about finding a way to reform a state budget that has been wallowing in borrowing and red ink for nearly all of this decade.

But they are miles apart. The political deadlock that created the deficits extends to reform: Republicans oppose tax increases, Democrats oppose spending cuts.”

DNA Clears Family in Murder of JonBenet Ramsey, DA Says

After more than a decade of whispers and suspicion, DNA tests have reportedly cleared the family of JonBenet Ramsey of involvement in the 6-year-old Colorado beauty queen’s murder in 1996.

Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Team Grant targets sex predators

Tehama County law enforcement agencies will once again benefit from a Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Team grant in the 2008-2009 fiscal year…

…Police use the grant to be proactive in assuring compliance by Penal Code 290 sex registrants within their jurisdictions. Red Bluff Chief of Police Scott Capilla estimates there are 282 sex registrants in Tehama County and 73 more living within the Red Bluff city limits.

Is Jessica’s Law Being Enforced?

A follow-up on last night’s story about a sex offender living across the street to an elementary school. That story has lead to another investigation about where registered sex offenders are allowed to live and why. In November of 2006, California voters overwhelmingly passed Jessica’s Law

Sex offender registry to be tiered

DOVER — Gov. John Lynch has signed a bill into law reworking the state’s registration system for sex offenders, which categorizes the levels of their crimes into three different tiers.

The law, which made its way through the Legislature as House Bill 1640, takes effect on Jan. 1 and breaks offenders into three different categories.

Op-Ed’s

• Bush Administration Promotes Discriminatory Practices Related To Birth Control
• An Outrageous Attempt by the Bush Administration to Undermine Women’s Rights

The most recent issue of Glamour, featured an article focusing on the disproportionate levels of rape and sexual violence that Native American women face. The author also discussed tribal governments’ lack of funds and staffing to patrol their lands, underfunded health care facilities, among other issues.

For more information, read: “Maze of Injustice: The Failure to Protect Indigenous Women from Sexual Violence in the USA.” Amnesty International and Native American activists released this report last year.

Click here to read Glamour’s article, “Where Rapists Walk Free.”

As the June 27th deadline for bills to pass their final policy committee and be reported to the floor, a slew of CALCASA supported bills came through Assembly and Senate Public Safety and Judiciary Committes along with the Senate Human Services committees. A few highlights from the day:

SB 1649 (Steinberg) Human trafficking “would require retail sellers and manufacturers doing business in the state to develop, maintain, and implement policies related to their compliance with federal and state law regarding the eradication of slavery and human trafficking.” Among other provisions, the bill would establish the Commission to Combat Slavery and Human Trafficking. Passed 7-3

SB 1203 (Runner) Crime: sex offenders attempts to provide “that for any person being evaluated as a sexually violent predator, parole will toll from evaluation through the period of commitment, including conditional release under court monitoring.” Failed 2-2 Reconsideration Granted

AB 2038 (Lieber) Persons with disabilities: victims of crime attempts to create a comprehensive approach, upgrading law enforcement training, giving police and judges new tools to protect victims, assuring that relevant state agencies focus on the problem, and changing terminology to make it clear to all that the law protects all Californians with disabilities. Passed 3-0

Week of May 19th

Sexual Assault Against Women: State and Global Perspectives

Last week, the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, in conjunction with the Senate Public Safety Committee, held an informational hearing on sexual violence.

Testimony was heard from:

• CALCASA‘s Executive Director, Suzanne Brown-McBride,
• Cathy Friedman and Leona Smith from Peace Over Violence, and
• Kay Buck, Executive Director of the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST).

Topic’s discussed included sex offender management, research on rape and violence, human trafficking, rape in the Congo, among others.

CALCASA and Brown-McBride Receive Dual-Awards

The California Coalition on Sexual Offending (CCOSO) named two recipients of their Fay Honey Knopp Awards today. Both CALCASA and Executive Director Suzanne Brown-McBride were awarded for leadership and policy work in the field of sexual assault victim services and sex offender management.

Click here to continue reading.

Supreme Court upholds part of anti-child porn law

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court upheld criminal penalties Monday for promoting child pornography. The court, in a 7-2 decision, brushed aside concerns that the law could apply to mainstream movies that depict adolescent sex, classic literature or innocent e-mails that describe pictures of grandchildren.

The ruling upheld part of a 2003 law that also prohibits possession of child porn. It replaced an earlier law against child pornography that the court struck down as unconstitutional.

Addressing the Harsh Reality of Rape in Prison

NPR’s News and Notes aired a segment on prison rape a few weeks ago. Farai Chideya, the host, talked with a former prison inmate, Keith DeBlasio, and Lovisa Stannow, Executive Director of the advocacy group Stop Prisoner Rape.

Stannow mentioned a report released by Human Rights Watch that “estimates that 22 percent of male inmates in the Unites States have been raped at least once during their incarceration.”

Click here to listen to the segment.

Fresno podiatrist details visits in molestation trial

A Fresno foot doctor testified Thursday that he was performing routine medical procedures when he touched the groin area of a girl who was seeing him for a toenail infection.

Matthew Sciaroni, 53, is on trial in Fresno County Superior Court facing nine charges, including child molestation and sexual battery. Eight women have testified in the trial that they were inappropriately touched by Sciaroni while they were his patients.

Two young girls say John Still PE teacher assaulted them

A John Still Elementary School teacher is on paid administrative leave after two female students alleged that he sexually assaulted them in separate incidents, officials said Wednesday.

Police are investigating the claims, each of which involves assault that allegedly occurred on campus during school hours in the fall, said Officer Konrad Von Schoech, a department spokesman.

This evening, the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, Comcast and Women Make Movies will be showing, The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo. Please see below for details:

Recently the California Attorney General’s office found that there was “insufficient evidence” to move forward in the De Anza rape case.

Victim advocates and students have sent a variety of comments to CALCASA, about the case:

As a victim advocate, I am very disheartened by the Attorney General’s decision not to pursue the De Anza College sexual assault case. I am even more disturbed by his public assertions that alcohol was one of the reasons he did not see the case as prosecutable. Having worked with over 200 sexual assault victims in my ten-year career, about 85% of them involve alcohol. Indeed, our California State Penal Code 261 states that “rape is accomplished . . . where a person is prevented from resisting by any intoxicating substances and this is known to the accused.” It is also specifically cites the victim being “unconscious” as one of the criteria. I certainly hope that the Attorney General is clear in his future statements about his reasons for not pursuing the case, that of inconsistent testimonies, rather than alcohol being present.

Carr’s statement that “It’s not about what we believe happened or think happened. It’s about what we can prove happened” is all well and good, but is of little consolation to women and past sexual assault survivors. Until we start prosecuting some of these cases, especially the difficult ones, very little will change in the public eye. Unfortunately, some of these “young men” have moved on to bigger feeding grounds—that of our larger universities.

I would like to applaud the efforts of the victim in this case, as well as the three young women who rescued her from the episode. Truly, the greatest self-defense weapon for young women today is other young women willing to help them out. Hopefully, some day the defense of alcohol in sexual assault cases will cease, and we will have someone who will be willing to prosecute these crimes.

Jessica Heskin, M.A.
Victim advocate for a major university

As a student, I was genuinely disappointed today when I learned about the decision made by the Attorney General to not move forward with the current De Anza College sexual assault case. It concerns me that by choosing to not prosecute this case it will send a message to rapists that they will not be held responsible under the law. I am also troubled by the message it sends to women that they are not entitled to the best defense under the law. I feel that until we start taking this type of violence seriously enough to see that it is prosecuted, there will be little hope for reducing sexual violence. It is my hope that as a society we can begin to hold rapists and those who condone rape accountable for their actions, demonstrating that this type of violence is not tolerable. I admire the courage of the women involved in this case that chose to take a stand against sexual violence. My heart goes out to the victim and the women who chose to protect her.

Elizabeth Olagues, Sacramento State University

As a University Health Educator, student advocate and concerned citizen I am disheartened by the Attorney General’s decision not to pursue prosecution in the De Anza College sexual assault case. Working with alcohol education specifically I am very familiar with the California law that indicates that having sex with a person who is unable to give consent (whether they are incapacitated by alcohol or drugs, underage or other) is illegal. It infuriates me that this case involves three sober eyewitnesses who can attest to the fact that the victim was a minor and unconscious while members of the athletic team were having sex with her. The Attorney General’s decision has essentially sent a message that states that any woman who drinks alcohol is at fault for her victimization. Alcohol and drug prevention research among college students shows that consistent enforcement of laws and policies is effective in reducing the harm associated with high risk drinking and drug use, including violence. Instead the State has decided to ignore evidence-based practices in AODV prevention and has therefore set a dangerous precedent for all future violence cases that involve the use of alcohol. I will remember the decision that was made when the time comes to reelect our state leaders

Sincerely,
Cyndra Krogen
Health Educator

Week of May 5th

Critics call crime initiative a ploy to lure ‘ultraconservatives’ to polls

They turned up the heat on the politics of crime Wednesday over an initiative likely to appear on the November ballot aimed at gangs and guns. Opponents said the “Safe Neighborhoods” act targets African American and Latino youth and that its backers are trying to fire up “ultraconservatives” to turn out for the presidential election.

Sexual Harassment at School

More than a third of middle- and high-school students may be victims of sexual harassment by their classmates, a new report shows.

The problem of sexual harassment from peers — which can include name-calling and unwanted touching in hallways and classrooms — is often largely dismissed as normal student behavior by school officials. However, the emotional toll of sexual harassment by school kids appears to be even worse than physical bullying, according to new research published this month in the journal Sex Roles.

Alleged De Anza Party Rapists Avoid Charges

The California Department of Justice said last week that it is dropping its investigation into the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old girl attending a De Anza College house party, in large part because witnesses were too drunk to remember what happened that night.

Satisfied Sex Worker or Domestic Trafficking Victim?

New legislation could expand the definition of trafficking to treat many sex workers as crime victims instead of criminals.

Facebook, states set bullying, predator safeguards

Facebook, the world’s second-largest social networking Web site, is adding more than 40 new safeguards to protect young users from sexual predators and cyberbullies under an agreement with officials nationwide that was announced Thursday.

Santa Monica Middle School Teacher Arrested On Molestation Charges

SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Notices to parents were to be sent out Monday with information about a veteran teacher at a Santa Monica middle school who was arrested on suspicion of molesting at least four female students in his classroom during school hours.

Ex-student says she told L.A. school official of sex with assistant principal

An 18-year-old former student at Foshay Learning Center testified Thursday that she told a school administrator that she had had a sexual relationship with an assistant principal and that the administrator had advised her to recant statements she had made to police after she expressed concern that the man could go to jail.

Fresno County Supervisors Tighten Restrictions On Sex Offenders

Fresno County Supervisors have tightened up restrictions on where sex offenders can live in the Central Valley.

It’s nearly impossible for sex offenders to move to Pomona

The City Council has unanimously passed an urgency ordinance that essentially blocks additional registered sex offenders from moving into the eastern Los Angeles County community.

East County Sex Offender Problem

Some people in the East County say their town has become a dumping ground for sex offenders. Two were arrested Sunday.

Assemblywoman Lieber was interviewed by KCRA yesterday. She discussed the Crime Victims with Disabilities Act during the television segment. Click here to view the segment.

Background on the Crime Victims with Disabilities Act:

The Crime Victims with Disabilities Act attempts to create a comprehensive approach, upgrading law enforcement training, giving police and judges new tools to protect victims, assuring that relevant state agencies focus on the problem, and changing terminology to make it clear to all that the law protects all Californians with disabilities.

Because of the state budget crisis, it is impossible to create any new General Fund costs. But even with that major restriction, there is much that can be done in 2008.

A few of the changes brought forth by this bill include:

• Increases Law Enforcement Training and Policies
• Creates More Accurate Terminology
• Supports the Reporting and Investigating of Crimes Against People with Disabilities
• Addresses Both Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Against Victims with Disabilities

Those in support of the bill included:

• The Arc of California (sponsor)
• California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA)
• Protection and Advocacy, Inc.

NAESV’s E-Lobby Week has arrived!

Over 325 letters have already been sent to Congresspeople from across the country. This is your last chance to join advocates Nationally and have your voice heard in Washington, DC!

The National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV) E-Lobby Week is going on now (4/21/08 – 4/25/08). April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the NAESV E-Lobby week is a chance to spread the word all the way to Congress. To participate, there are two components:

1. Be virtually present in Washington, DC:

With a click of a button, participants will send a letter to their Members of Congress explaining how important funding for sexual assault services is in your state. After signup, this step takes as little as 45 seconds from start to finish!

2. District Visits:

It is what you do at home in your Congressional district that really brings this virtual lobby week together. Making a visit to your Member of Congress’ district office is an important means of getting your voice heard and in building relationships with staff.

How to participate:

Click here to register. Once you’ve registered, you will be “carried” through the process electronically during the E-Lobby Week.

Click here to log in and send your message:

Earlier this week, CALCASA and the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV) visited federal legislators to advocate for sexual assault victim service funding. There are two key federal funding streams that sexual assault crisis programs in California depend upon for services: Victim of Crime Act (VOCA) and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) funds – both of which are facing reductions this year.

CALCASA staff visited the following legislators:
Congresswoman Doris Matsui
Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard
Congressman Mike Honda
Senator Barbara Boxer
Senator Dianne Feinstein

These visits were conducted in connection with NAESV’s national E-lobby week that is encouraging community members to speak to our federal legislators about the importance of victim service funding.

To participate you can:

1. Be virtually present in Washington, DC:

With a click of a button, participants will send a letter to their Members of Congress explaining how important funding for sexual assault services is in your state. After signup, this step takes as little as 45 seconds from start to finish!

2. District Visits:

It is what you do at home in your Congressional district that really brings this virtual lobby week together. Making a visit to your Member of Congress’ district office is an important means of getting your voice heard and in building relationships with staff.

How to participate:

Click on the link below, to register. Once you’ve registered, you will be “carried” through the process electronically during the E-Lobby Week.

Click here to log-in and send your message.

Two days and counting until CA lawmakers join the CALCASA and the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, for Denim Day at the Capitol!

In conjunction with this exciting event, the Denim Day Senate Concurrent Resolution has been introduced by Senators Romero, Alquist, Ducheny, Kehoe, Kuehl, Migden, Negrete McLeod, Oropeza, and Wiggins. You can review the SCR 106 by clicking here.

SCR 106 was heard in the Senate last week (SEN. FLOOR Vote – Y:36 N:0 A:4) and will be taken up in the Assembly this week.

Members who have signed on include:

SENATE:

• Alquist
• Ducheny
• Kehoe
• Kuehl
• Migden
• Negrete McLeod
• Oropeza
• Romero
• Wiggins

ASSEMBLY:

• Bass
• Berg
• Brownley
• Carter
• Caballero
• Evans
• Fuller
• Garcia
• Hancock
• Karnette
• Parra
• Runner
• Saldaña
• Soto
• Strickland
• Wolk

Beginning April 21st, CALCASA will be unveiling a week-long E-Lobbying effort along with the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV) urging Congress to fully fund the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and to raise the cap on the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). The NAESV has chosen to partner CALCASA in an effort to create a National grassroots effort, raising critical awareness amongst members of Congress regarding just how vital these funds are to Rape Crisis Centers.

In California, the state budget deficit of $16 billion has limited effects on rape crisis centers because in the entire state, only $50k from State General Fund goes to rape crisis centers. That relative safety is not present when considering the Federal funds that rape crisis centers receive. Nearly $20 million each year comes directly from VAWA and VOCA to rape crisis centers, and current estimates range from 5-10% possible rescissions in those funds. After several years of such rescissions, California’s rape crisis centers, like those across the country have seen the need for mounting a National campaign.

From April 21st-25th, CALCASA’s Online Grassroots Advocacy Center will allow people to send letters to all of their Congressional representatives with the click of a button. For most people the process takes less than a minute from start-to-finish, and their voice will be heard in Washington D.C.

In order to participate in the campaign, please register here.

After registering, you will receive an email as soon as the campaign begins directing you to the website to send your letter. Participation is free, and an important way to let Congress know just how important Federal funding is for California’s rape crisis centers.

Judge Scott Jenkins ruled last week that Texas may not collect a $5-per-patron strip club fee. The fee was expected to raise $40 million per year and pay for sexual assault prevention programs and health insurance for low-income Texans.

Judge Jenkins wrote in an option that, “while furthering laudable goals, violates the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and is therefore invalid.”

Karen Amacker, a spokeswoman for the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, said her group is disappointed in the ruling and that the fee “is an appropriate long-term, sustainable funding source for programs addressing sexual violence…This is not the end of the adult entertainment fee or of our goal of providing comprehensive sexual assault-related services to Texans.”

Read more about the issue here.

There is no shortage of bills in the California Legislature that affect CALCASA’s members. Tuesday in both Assembly and Senate Public Safety Committees and the Senate Judiciary Committee, CALCASA testified on a variety of legislation related to sexual violence.

Two of those bills include: SB 1356 Contempt: victim of domestic violence (Yee) and SB 1339 Government tort claims: childhood sexual abuse (Simitian).

SB 1339 (Simitian), supported by CALCASA, would expand sexual assault survivors’ rights to access civil remedies and causes of action to address the impacts of sexual violence.

SB 1356 (Yee) seeks to prevent the incarceration of domestic violence victims who refuse to testify in court on the grounds of protecting their safety. Under current law, a domestic violence victim can be held in contempt of court and be incarcerated by a judge for refusing to testify against her batterer.

The bill was supported by the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, California Protective Parents Association, California Public Defenders Association, Crime Victims United, Taxpayers for Improving Public Safety and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Week of March 17th

US Senate Votes to Increase Funding for Programs Under Violence Against Women Act

The US Senate passed an amendment to the FY 2009 Budget to increase funding for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) programs on March 13. Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware introduced the amendment that would increase funding to VAWA programs by $100 million. President Bush’s proposed FY 2009 budget would have cut funding to VAWA by $120 million.

Assemblyman honors head of San Joaquin Rape Crisis Center

Joelle Gomez has been named 2008 Woman of the Year for the 26th Assembly District by Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian, R-Stockton.

The center’s board members said that, Gomez, director of the Women’s Center of San Joaquin County, has been instrumental in the center’s growth and has been actively involved in strengthening domestic violence laws.

Click here to continue reading.

New National Action Agenda on Anti-Trafficking Activism

from The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum

The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) announces its publication of Rights to Survival & Mobility: An Anti-Trafficking Activist’s Agenda, a new report highlighting the disproportionate impact of human trafficking on asian and pacific Islander women and girls. Human trafficking is the third most profitable underground enterprise, rivaling the drug and arms trade. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that the largest group of persons trafficked into the U.S. are from East Asia and the pacific.

Click here to continue reading.

Military Women Report Harassment

WASHINGTON (AP) — One-third of women in the military and 6 percent of men said they were sexually harassed, according to the latest Pentagon survey on the issue.

The figure for women was worse than the previous finding several years ago but better than a similar survey taken in 1995, the Defense Department said in a report Friday. The Defense Manpower Data Center said it compiled the data from a survey of 24,000 people in 2006.

NBC 11 Investigation: “Is Jessica’s Law Working?”

NBC 11 recently investigated Jessica’s Law. During the segment, the reporter discussed the unintended consequences of Jessica’s Law and the California Sex Offender Management Boards recently released report.

Click here to watch the segment.

States grapple with sex offender records

USA Today - A growing number of states are trying to sort out the question of who is responsible for disclosing the presence of sex predators in a neighborhood to potential home buyers.

State spends $24 million to classify sex offenders

SACRAMENTO – Jessica’s Law is requiring the state to spend an extra $24 million this year evaluating sex offenders for the sexually violent predator program, which confines offenders to a mental hospital after their prison terms.

Long Beach passes sex offender rules

The City Council gave unanimous final approval Tuesday to a new law restricting where registered sex offenders may live, but City Prosecutor Thomas Reeves told the council that enforcing it may be difficult.

The new ordinance, which the council initially approved last week, has been slightly rewritten by the City Attorney’s Office. Reeves said he had expressed his concerns to the City Attorney’s Office, but that the changes that had been made weren’t sufficient.

Sex offender alert aids county areas

Do you know where your neighborhood’s sex offenders are? Thanks to a new e-mail notification system, residents of unincorporated Monterey County can know instantly when a released sex offender has moved into their community.

On Monday afternoon, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office unveiled its “OffenderWatch” online database at 1414 Natividad Road in Salinas.

OpEd

Unclustered offenders

Will sex offenders be better off living away from each other than in a cluster? That’s the wrong question. The right question is whether the neighborhood would be better off.

It wouldn’t. The Long Beach City Council affirmed that by voting last week to forbid paroled sex offenders from clustering in a single building. That’s a good rule, for offenders as well.

Click here to continue reading.

Stop Prisoner Rape developed a policy document called, Call for Change: Protecting the Rights of LGBTQ Inmates from Abuse.

The report presents recommendations that “complement and build on these legal standards as well as those at the local level. If implemented, the policies included will significantly decrease sexual violence against LGBTQ detainees.”

An astonishing 2.3 million people are incarcerated in the U.S. at any given time, with some 12 million passing though our prisons and jails each year. Of these detainees, an alarming number experience sexual violence. Recent studies show that a many as one in four female and one in five male prisoners are subjected to sexual abuse. LGBTQ detainees are hardest hit by this violence; one survey concludes that more then four out of ten gay or transgender prisoners have been sexually assaulted.

Organizations from across the U.S. have become signatories to the Call for Change, “creating a strong and diverse voice against prisoner rape.”

Click here to read the report, from Stop Prisoner Rape

Week of Feb 25th

Rep. Poe VOCA Statements

On Feb. 26, 2008, Rep. Ted Poe, co-chair of the Congressional Crime Victims Rights Caucus, gave a 5-minute floor statement on the need to protect the Crime Victims Fund and provide adequate funding for victim services. On Feb. 28, 2008, Rep. Poe provided similar testimony to the House Budget Committee.

Click here for more information on VOCA.

Responses to MacDonald’s op-ed in the LA Times

Over the weekend the LA Times ran an op-ed, “What Campus Rape Crisis,” by Heather MacDonald.

Click here to read the responses.

UN Urges End to Violence Against Women

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has launched a global campaign to intensify efforts to end violence against women, specifically calling on men to combat the problem.

Bill would require peace officers on cruise ships

Last week a state senator introduced a bill that would require cruise ships sailing from California ports to have a peace officer on board.

Laurie Dishman, was a keynote at Denim Day ‘07, is a CALCASA speaker’s bureau member, and has been advocating to change cruise industry policies.

Dishman reported raped on a Royal Caribbean ship sailing to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, from Long Beach, testified before U.S. Congress last year about being asked to collect her own evidence. Dishman said:

Click here to continue reading.

Lawsuit Proceeds Against NBC Over ‘Dateline’ Suicide

Dateline NBC’s “To Catch a Predator” has been blamed “for the suicide of a Texas prosecutor and suspected pedophile while the cast and crew of its Dateline program were waiting outside his home to film his arrest by a police SWAT team.”

Yesterday, New York Judge Denny Chin rejected the network’s motion to dismiss the complaint brought by Patricia Conradt, the sister of Louis William Conradt Jr., who shot himself to death on Nov. 5, 2006.

Click here to continue reading.

Bill gives more access to records of juveniles

A proposed law could give prosecutors and state authorities more access to information on crimes committed by violent sexual predators when they were juveniles.

Currently, when a sex offender is about to be released from prison and authorities attempt to determine if he should be released into the community, state law allows officials to look only at juvenile criminal records that involve forcible sex crimes.

New Report Issuee on CA Sex offenders

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KCBS) – New steps have been taken to effectively keep track of thousands of sexual predators. A first of its kind report indicates a lot of work remains in California, to manage this population.

Most sex offenders aren’t under any formal supervision. “It can be very challenging to try to make sure that we know where they are and where they’re living,” explained Suzanne Brown-McBride, chair of the California Sex Offender Management Board, which as been in business for only six months. “And making sure that they’re being monitored appropriately.”

NPR: Calif. Law Puts Sex Offenders on the Streets

NPR: A new report finds more convicted sex offenders in California homeless because of a state law restricting where they can live. Tom Tobin, a psychologist specializing in sex offender treatment, talks with Jacki Lyden about the findings.

Jessica Lunsford’s Parents Will Sue Over Handling of Case

The parents of Jessica Lunsford, the 9-year-old girl who was kidnapped and buried alive by a sex offender, plan to sue over allegations of negligence, MyFoxTampaBay.com reported.

The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday said it had received notice of a lawsuit from Jessica’s parents, Mark Lunsford and Angela Wright, though Mark Lunsford said they had not actually filed it yet.

Yesterday, Rep. Ted Poe, co-chair of the Congressional Crime Victims Rights Caucus, gave a 5-minute floor statement on the need to protect the Crime Victims Fund and provide adequate funding for victim services.

Click here to listen to his remarks.

On Thursday, Rep. Poe will be testifying before the House Budget Committee on the need for a sufficient 2009 cap to restore VOCA assistance grants to the same amount they received in 2006.

Click here for more information on VOCA.

Last week a state senator introduced a bill that would require cruise ships sailing from California ports to have a peace officer on board.

Laurie Dishman, was a keynote at Denim Day ‘07, is a CALCASA speaker’s bureau member, and has been advocating to change cruise industry policies.

Dishman reported raped on a Royal Caribbean ship sailing to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, from Long Beach, testified before U.S. Congress last year about being asked to collect her own evidence. Dishman said:

“It’s going to be almost a year now since I testified before Congress. In the year’s time, the cruise industry has done nothing to show Congress or any of us victims that they’re going to make changes.”

In Dishman’s case, despite bruise marks around her neck, no criminal charges were filed against her alleged attacker, a security guard working for the ship.

The peace officer would ensure that reported crimes are appropriately handled on board without interference from the ship’s attorneys or other employees whose primary job is to protect the company, Dishman said.

“This is the way people are going to be able to get criminal prosecution,” she said.

If the measure passes California would have the most stringent state regulations on the $35.7-billion industry, which has come under congressional and public scrutiny after several high-profile cases of missing people, passengers overboard and sexual assault in recent years.

from the Feminist Majority Foundation and the New York Times

Jamie Leigh Jones, a former KBR employee, testified again on Tuesday at a Congressional hearing that she was drugged and gang-raped by a group of her co-workers in the Green Zone KBR camp in Iraq in 2005. She also asked lawmakers to address the difficulties victims of such crimes face in suing their employers when the crimes occur abroad.

The issue received national attention last year and Jones testified in a Congressional hearing on the issue last December. Since then, more women have spoken out. Women are now reporting being sexually assaulted by co-workers while working with contractors in Iraq, but they are not receiving real compensation or justice.

Jones emphasized:

“Victims of crime perpetrated by employees of taxpayer-funded government contracts in Iraq deserve the same standard of treatment and protection governed by the same laws whether they are working in the U.S. or abroad.”

Mary Beth Kineston, an American truck driver for KRB, says she was sexually assaulted by a fellow driver, who continued to work for KRB even after she made a complaint. Subsequently, she was groped by another KRB worker and was fired when she attempted to place a second complaint.

Five years after the United States invasion on Iraq, the U.S. has still not created laws to protect Americans working under American contractors in foreign countries. The lack of legal protection makes it difficult for women to defend themselves through the legal system, leaving them in kind of “legal limbo,” according to the New York Times.

CALCASA is sponsoring Senate Bill 256 (Alquist) and we need your help to pass it!

SB 256 would eliminate the statute of limitations for sexual assault. Currently, the only offenses that have no statute of limitations include crimes punishable by death, life imprisonment, imprisonment without the possibility of parole, and crimes involving the embezzlement of public money. The statute of limitations for most forms of rape however is 10 years unless DNA evidence identifies a potential defendant.

We know that sexual assault is one of the most underreported crimes and victims should not be penalized for delayed reporting. The emotional suffering does not end when the statute of limitations expires; this bill seeks to protect and vindicate those victims who do not or cannot come forward within the currently allotted time limit.

It is vital that California takes steps to encourage victims to come forward and report these violent crimes. We want to send a message to offenders that California doesn’t lose interest in these crimes or their victims.

While prompt reporting is optimal, the trauma that many victims experience as a result of their attack may make timely reporting impossible. Sexual assault claims shouldn’t be dismissed simply because of an arbitrary timeline – victims deserve a chance at receiving justice no matter when a crime occurred.

Please send a letter of support for SB 256 by clicking here.

CALCASA is sponsoring Senate Bill 256 (Alquist) and we need your help to pass it!

SB 256 would eliminate the statute of limitations for sexual assault. Currently, the only offenses that have no statute of limitations include crimes punishable by death, life imprisonment, imprisonment without the possibility of parole, and crimes involving the embezzlement of public money. The statute of limitations for most forms of rape however is 10 years unless DNA evidence identifies a potential defendant.

We know that sexual assault is one of the most underreported crimes and victims should not be penalized for delayed reporting. The emotional suffering does not end when the statute of limitations expires; this bill seeks to protect and vindicate those victims who do not or cannot come forward within the currently allotted time limit.

It is vital that California takes steps to encourage victims to come forward and report these violent crimes. We want to send a message to offenders that California doesn’t lose interest in these crimes or their victims.

While prompt reporting is optimal, the trauma that many victims experience as a result of their attack may make timely reporting impossible. Sexual assault claims shouldn’t be dismissed simply because of an arbitrary timeline – victims deserve a chance at receiving justice no matter when a crime occurred.

Please send a letter of support for SB 256 by clicking here.

ABC news reported that the Pentagon will not probe into the KBR rape charges.

“Despite deferring to the Justice Department, Kicklighter’s office told Nelson it was willing to pursue other questions Nelson raised about Jones’ case. Kicklighter agreed to explore “whether and why” a U.S. Army doctor handed to KBR security officials the results of Jones’ medical examination, a so-called “rape kit,” which would have contained evidence of the crime if it had occurred.

In a separate letter, Kicklighter’s office said that the State Department had said its security officials had Jones’ rape kit in their possession at one point.

The State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security told Kicklighter “evidence in the rape kit was collected by a U.S. Army doctor and was later provided to [the Bureau of Diplomatic Security],” the IG’s office wrote to Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Alaska, who had asked about Jones’ case.

An Army spokesman referred questions about the rape kit to the State Department, which declined to provide new information on the case.

Halliburton/KBR, a Houston, Texas-based government contractor once led by Vice President Dick Cheney, employed Jones until shortly after her alleged assault. Halliburton spun off KBR last year. Jones has since filed suit against KBR and Halliburton. Halliburton says they have been wrongly named in the suit; KBR has maintained that “the safety and security of all employees remains KBR’s top priority,” it said in a statement. “Our commitment in this regard is unwavering.”

Nelson and other lawmakers have also requested information on rape allegations by Jones and others from the Department of State, which initially investigated Jones’ allegations, and the Department of Justice. To date, none have reported receiving information.”

From PCAR

The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) has released a new resource, Poverty and Sexual Violence: Building Prevention and Intervention Responses. There is a complex and often reciprocal relationship between poverty and sexual violence. This guide is intended to support rape crisis centers in their economic advocacy efforts at all levels of the organization, using the Spectrum of Violence Prevention as a blueprint in responding to the needs of victims, survivors, and communities. To these ends, the guide includes:

• a definition and discussion of terms,
• literature review,
• discussion of the philosophical framework for economic advocacy,
• ways to apply economic advocacy to the work,
• tools and resources, and
• fact sheets.

The guide has been largely shaped by the voices of Pennsylvania’s rape crisis advocate and through them, the stories and experiences of victims, survivors, and communities. We hope this guide supports the work of advocates beyond the state as well.

This guide is available on the PCAR web site under resources. If you would like more information, would like to discuss, or need assistance accessing the guide, do not hesitate to contact me (717-728-9740, ext. 115 or dgreco@pcar.org).

Week of December 17th

Monterey County Rape Crisis Center Opens a New Office in Salinas

For over 30 years, the Women’s Crisis Center in Salinas provided services to survivors and families of sexual assault and domestic violence. But the nonprofit closed in August.

Clare Mounteer, the executive director of the Monterey Rape Crisis Center (MRCC), the county’s only other nonprofit sexual assault crisis center, had just returned from England when she received a phone call from the Office of Emergency Services asking for the agency’s help.

Within 24 hours, Women’s Crisis Center phone lines were transfered to the MRCC office and advocates were assisting victims.

The WRCC recently opened a new office in Salinas and has recruited new volunteers to help survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.

VOCA FUND CUT BY $35 MILLION

The House and the Senate have completed the Omnibus Appropriations Bill and have sent it to the President, who is expected to sign it into law.

The Victim of Crime Act Fund (VOCA) has been cut by $35 million. California will see a cut of over $5 million.

The President’s budget called for the elimination of the VOCA Fund but a variety of organizations fought hard to maintain it and even to raise the VOCA cap throughout the appropriation’s process.

Congressmen: Iraq lawless like the Wild West

(CNN) — Government contractors in Iraq face lawlessness reminiscent of America’s Wild West of the 1800s, lawmakers said Wednesday at a House hearing into a contractor’s rape allegations.

Jamie Leigh Jones appears before a House subcommittee Wednesday looking into her rape allegations.

“We need a new sheriff in Iraq to enforce federal laws,” said Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, while testifying in support of Jamie Leigh Jones, a constituent of his who alleges that fellow employees raped her while she worked for KBR Inc. two years ago in Iraq.

No government entity has stepped up to look out for Jones’ interests in the case or to ensure that the constitutional rights of contract employees are protected, congressmen said…

“Jamie’s case is not unique,” Poe said, adding that three other former KBR employees have come forward with allegations of rape and sexual assault in Iraq. “For American contractors, Iraq seems reminiscent of the Old West days,” he said.

Kucinich and Flynt Strange Bedfellows…..

Last month, Larry Flynt co-hosted a fundraiser for Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich in Los Angeles.

Kucinich is a progressive Presidential candidate who has advocated the creation of a Department of Peace and Non-Violence in the executive branch. It is surprising that someone like Kucinich is willing to take money from Larry Flynt – a pornographer who profits off the sexual exploitation of women and makes fun of rape and domestic violence in his Hustler cartoon series.

No funds to track offenders off parole – State wrestles with how to pay for monitoring required by Jessica’s Law

by Don Thompson, Associated Press

An advisory panel created by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger considered Thursday how to fix the sex-offender law passed last year because it fails to say who is responsible for tracking their whereabouts once they complete parole.

That means hundreds of offenders in California are not being monitored by global positioning systems, despite the law’s requirement for lifetime tracking.

State Sen. George Runner, who co-authored Jessica’s Law, said he intended that local governments have responsibility for monitoring while the state picks up the cost.

“The voters said they want it done,” Runner said in an interview after addressing the board. “We believe the state should step up and pay for it…”

Runner said he also is considering legislation that would make it a crime for a former parolee to remove a GPS unit. The state attorney general’s office has said the lifetime GPS requirement is unenforceable because Jessica’s Law does not include a criminal penalty for refusing to wear the devices.

Violence in California Correctional Facilities: An Empirical Examination of Sexual Assault

By Valerie Jenness, Cheryl L. Maxson, Kristy N. Matsuda, Jennifer Macy Sumner

Inmate sexual assault is a public health and human rights issue as well as an administrative management problem in correctional facilities throughout the country.

This research was designed to contribute to a main goal of the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 and the Sexual Abuse in Detention Elimination Act of 2005-to reduce sexual assault, including rape, in detention facilities in the U.S…The study sheds insight into the contours of sexual assault in order to contribute to ongoing efforts to create viable interventions designed to prevent and respond to sexual assault in ways that are humane, effective, and constitutional.

UC Santa Barbara soccer player convicted of rape

SANTA BARBARA – A former University of California, Santa Barbara, soccer player has been convicted of raping a student 10 months ago.

But jurors acquitted Eric Frimpong of sexual battery against another female student in an earlier incident. The jury deliberated less than two days before returning the verdicts on Monday afternoon. Eric Frimpong faces a maximum sentence of eight years in prison.

For over 30 years, the Women’s Crisis Center in Salinas provided services to survivors and families of sexual assault and domestic violence. But the nonprofit closed in August.

Clare Mounteer, the executive director of the Monterey Rape Crisis Center (MRCC), the county’s only other nonprofit sexual assault crisis center, had just returned from England when she received a phone call from the Office of Emergency Services asking for the agency’s help.

“We had enough money in our reserves for exactly this kind of thing, for emergencies, for times when the state budget was late,” Mounteer says. Ironically, it was a 52-day delay in the state budget that ultimately broke Women’s Crisis Center and forced its closure.

Within 24 hours, Women’s Crisis Center phone lines were transfered to the MRCC office and advocates were assisting victims.

The WRCC recently opened a new office in Salinas and has recruited new volunteers to help survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Click here to read the article.