In Arizona, safer communities begin with healing crime victims

Growing up in south Phoenix, violent crime was so commonplace that it wasn’t until adulthood that I realized how much it affected me. I lost family members to gun violence and saw family members grapple with undiagnosed PTSD. Eventually, I became a victim of crime myself. As a survivor of domestic violence, my family struggled to find help and rebuild our lives. Sadly, my experience is not unique.

Many Arizona crime survivors are unable to access the support they need to heal and regain stability in the aftermath of violent crime – leaving them unsafe and trapped in cycles of victimization. This year, Arizona can take critical action to fix this by funding our first Trauma Recovery Center through HB 2612 and improving access to our victim compensation fund.

One in four Arizona crime victims said our justice system was “very unhelpful” when it came to access to medical, emotional and financial recovery and support, according to a 2022 statewide survey.

When my children and I first escaped our abuser, it took four months to be placed in a shelter even though we were in a high-risk situation. Safely navigating the criminal justice system to access protection and healing was difficult. We felt helpless.

I knew the system needed to change. That’s why I joined 3,000 other Arizona crime survivors to fight for commonsense public safety solutions that prioritize the needs of crime victims.

Funding the state’s first trauma recovery center and stabilizing funding for victim compensation will expand victims’ access to support, remove barriers to healing, and improve public safety in Arizona.

When victims get the support they need, they are less likely to be victims of additional crimes or become perpetrators of crime themselves. Trauma recovery centers give immediate, coordinated help to violent crime victims.

More than 40 centers in states across the country offer crime victims a beacon of hope. These centers are proven to reduce alcohol and substance abuse among victims, increase the likelihood victims find stable employment and housing – and the likelihood that a victim cooperates with law enforcement.

Right now, more than half of Arizona crime victims do not receive financial assistance, counseling, medical care, or other services to help them recover. And few are able to access the state’s victim compensation fund.

Last year, our legislators passed bipartisan bills to extend protective orders for domestic violence victims and to lay the groundwork for our state’s first trauma recovery center. These were huge victories for crime victims like me who are calling for better protections and services for all crime victims. Now, lawmakers can take the next step and fund our first trauma recovery center.

Improving access to the state’s victim compensation fund will also help Arizona crime victims receive the financial support they need to get back on their feet. And 82% of crime victims want to increase funding for victim compensation so that the program can meet current needs and expand eligibility.

We want to see lawmakers put crime survivors first when it comes to public safety. An individual’s ability to heal is critical to their sense of safety. Each of us deserves to be safe. I am very fortunate to now know what safety feels like, but I know that’s not the reality for many other crime survivors.

Safer communities in Arizona start with helping those who have experienced trauma to reclaim safety and stability in their lives.

Our elected leaders have an opportunity to expand victims’ access to support and remove barriers to healing. We urge them to take it. Together, we can strengthen Arizona’s ability to help crime victims on their path to safety and healing.

Celina Meadows is the Statewide Manager for the Arizona chapter of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, which hosted the second annual Survivors Speak Arizona on Feb. 27.