00                   HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 16                                                                   
01 Designating April 21 - 27, 2024, as Crime Victims' Rights Week.                                                         
02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
03       WHEREAS, throughout the country, millions of people of all ages and from all                                    
04 cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds are victimized by crime each year; and                                           
05       WHEREAS, among those victimized by crime are family members, friends,                                           
06 neighbors, co-workers, and community members, who are often reluctant to share their                                    
07 experiences and may not be publicly identified; and                                                                     
08       WHEREAS society must compassionately and appropriately support victims and                                      
09 survivors of crime while also holding offenders accountable; and                                                        
10       WHEREAS all victims of crime deserve support and encouragement as the victims                                   
11 recover and move forward with their lives; and                                                                          
12 WHEREAS specialized victim assistance programs provide help and support to                                            
13 victims of all types of crimes, including murder, attempted murder, sexual assault, sexual                              
14 abuse of minors, sex and human trafficking, abuse and neglect, stalking, driving under the                              
15 influence, arson, and assault; and                                                                                      
16       WHEREAS the Alaska State Legislature applauds and acknowledges the progress the                                 

01 state has made in safeguarding victims' rights, but also recognizes that more is required to                            
02 ensure that victims of crime are treated with dignity and respect and provided with                                     
03 opportunities to regain a sense of value and security; and                                                              
04 WHEREAS Crime Victims' Rights Week provides the Alaska State Legislature with                                         
05 an opportunity to recognize the effects of crime on communities around the state, to celebrate                          
06 the survivors and the advocates who fight for services and treatment for victims of crime, and                          
07 to recommit to ensuring that accessible, appropriate, and trauma-informed services are offered                          
08 to all victims of crime; and                                                                                            
09 WHEREAS the Alaska State Legislature is committed to protecting and supporting                                        
10 victims of crime by strictly adhering to the constitutional protections for crime victims as                            
11 declared in art. I, secs. 12 and 24, of the Constitution of the State of Alaska;                                        
12 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature designates April 21 - 27, 2024,                                      
13 as Crime Victims' Rights Week in the state and encourages all residents of the state to join in                         
14 making the state the safest state in the country, to reduce victim trauma in the state's criminal                       
15 justice system, and to ensure victims of crime are supported, protected, and given proper                               
16 assistance to heal as victims look toward a hopeful future.