(Brown County, Wis.) – Brown County, in commemoration of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW), April 23-29, 2023, is using purple lights around the Resch Expo and on the grounds of the historic Brown County Courthouse to raise awareness about crime victims’ issues and rights and recognize Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin’s Three-Year Anniversary.
“Crime victims are too often the forgotten part of the process,” says County Executive Troy Streckenbach. “We hope everyone who sees the purple lights at the Resch Expo and the Courthouse this week will take time to remember that there are hundreds of people who get dragged into the criminal justice system through no fault of their own every day.”
NCVRW is an annual observance led by the U.S. Office of Justice Programs. The 2023 theme – Survivor Voices: Elevate. Engage. Effect Change. – calls upon communities to amplify the voices of survivors and create environments where survivors have the confidence that they will be heard, believed, and supported.
This year’s NCVRW comes on the heels of the three-year anniversary of Wisconsin voters approving a Crime Victims’ Rights Constitutional Amendment, also known as Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin. The Amendment passed as part of the April 2020 ballot with 75 percent of the vote statewide and 76 percent of the vote in Brown County. Since it’s been in effect, Marsy’s Law has provided victims with a stronger voice to make sure they are no longer treated as uninterested observers in the courtroom.
