To improve how Tennessee serves victims of crime, a new survey — for the first time — asks survivors to describe their lives and their needs. The results could lead to changes in how grant money is spent.
In addition to state funds, Tennessee receives federal grants that try to help specific groups, like children saved from homes with meth labs, women who survive domestic violence, and survivors of sexual assault, among others.
Through Feb. 1, the state’s
Office of Criminal Justice Programs wants to hear directly from these victims. Do they need counseling? Help navigating the justice system?
The online survey is available at
TNsurvivorsurvey.org.
“We want to change direction and ask the victims, directly, what their needs are,” said OCJP Director Bill Scollon. “We don’t know what we don’t know yet and this victim survey will help us get out there and identify the location of certain types of victims that haven’t received the full services they need.”
The survey asks victims for examples of times that service agencies did not meet their needs.
“Perhaps you preferred individual therapy but the agency only offered a support group,” reads one prompt.
Scollon says money is often handed out based on feedback from officials in the justice system and professional counselors. He hopes the victims point out what’s being overlooked.
For example, he wonders if the state does enough for elderly Tennesseans who have been scammed, and whether human trafficking survivors get adequate care.
Based on what the survey shows, programs could expand or change in the next few months.
“It is also likely we will identify locations … that receive very little services at all and that we want to enhance,” Scollon said. “It will almost be, assuredly, that we need to go to the rural areas to dig a little deeper.”
Annual Average of Tennessee Crime Victims (2009-2013)
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161,806 crimes against persons
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29,274 aggravated assaults
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5,628 rapes
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8,346 robberies
Source:
Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs
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