SUPERIOR, WI – Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin is joining forces with the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office and the Wisconsin Department of Justice on a session next week at the Douglas County Courthouse aimed at better outcomes for victims in the criminal justice process. The groups will convene stakeholders from the criminal justice system and victim service organizations to literally “map” the journey of a victim through the criminal justice system – from the initial call to law enforcement all the way to post-conviction proceedings.
Their efforts will help improve the understanding of the path crime victims face and look for opportunities to improve victim service delivery. The objective is to empower victims by improving their access to their rights, ensuring they are easily and effectively exercised.
Attendees will be examining how the rights provided to victims under Wisconsin’s five year-old crime victims’ rights constitutional amendment, known as Marsy’s Law, impact the criminal justice system and its processes specifically in Douglas County. The project will look at who victims interact with at each “touch point” of the criminal justice process to better identify both positive outcomes since Marsy’s Law’s implementation in 2020 and areas in need of further progress. The group will examine the experiences of hypothetical sexual assault and domestic violence victims.
“Marsy’s Law has been a steadying force in times of turbulence for victims of crime since its ratification five years ago. But we can’t just continue without reexamining the path crime victims take and work to find ways in which we can make progress,” said Nela Kalpic, Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin State Director. “These mapping exercises give us opportunities to do this and remind us of the importance of providing strong, meaningful rights to those forced into such situations.”
“We hope to use the mapping exercise to better understand what crime victims go through as they navigate the justice system and make sure we are connecting them to their rights under Marsy’s Law and the services available to them in our community,” said Mark Fruehauf, Douglas County District Attorney.
“Victims not only have to deal with the trauma of the crime itself, but often a troubling path through the justice system as well. The mapping exercise will help us find ways to ease that burden and ensure all victims of crime receive dignified and equitable treatment when dealing with the aftermath of their trauma,” said Kelly M Burger, Executive Director at Center Against Sexual & Domestic Abuse (CASDA).
The mapping exercise will take place from 9 a.m. – 4p.m., Tuesday, May 20 at the Douglas County Courthouse, 1313 Belknap Street, Superior, Wis.
Leading the exercise will be Nela Kalpic, the State Director for Marsy’s Law in Wisconsin, and Erin Welsh, Deputy Director of the Office of Crime Victim Services.
The meeting will also involve representatives from various local criminal justice stakeholders, including the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office, the Douglas County Circuit Court, the Department of Corrections, the State Public Defender’s Office and victim service organizations including Center Against Sexual & Domestic Abuse, Inc. (CASDA), and others.
This will be the eighth mapping exercise conducted by Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Department of Justice. These exercises have provided valuable data for analyzing the statewide implementation of the amendment. Based on these findings, recommendations on best practices have been and will continue to be developed.
Media Note: For media who wish to schedule an interview with one of the participants or receive additional information, please contact Heidi Skewes at hs@platform-communications.com.
