National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW)

Brenda Muhammad is a national leader in violence prevention and the creator of a volunteer movement. She has dedicated her entire career to victim services, and has made an indelible mark on the city of Atlanta and on the hearts of crime victims throughout the country.

Michelle Shae, Director of the YWCA Hanover Safe Home Program, has helped victims of crimes in Maryland and Pennsylvania for 30 years. Her tireless devotion has made a difference to countless survivors. Ms. Shae’s unwavering commitment to clients, victims’ services, and victims’ rights is an inspiration.

Deborah “Deb” Flowers, MSN, RN,CPNP, SANE-A, SANE-P, has been a beacon for survivors and a mentor to countless nurses and professionals across the State of North Carolina and beyond. She urges nurses to meet the complex medical-forensic, evidentiary, and mental health needs of all their patients. By sharing her knowledge through mentorship, Ms. Flowers has made a major difference in the lives of the victims she and her mentees encounter.

Dr. Linda Laras, a physician, has dedicated her life to providing comprehensive services to victims of sexual assault and defending their rights. A highly respected forensic gynecologist in Puerto Rico, Dr. Laras’ professionalism has advanced the medical field’s awareness and commitment to providing victims of sexual assault the care they need and deserve. She has been breaking barriers and advocating the importance of recognizing violence as a public health problem since 1990.

Barrier Free Living (BFL) was founded in 1981, with a mission to provide services to the D/deaf and disabled community. BFL helps people through three innovative programs: Secret Garden, Freedom House, and BFL Apartments. BFL’s ability to provide effective responses to underserved populations and produce systematic change through advocacy is remarkable.

In less than a year, the Gender Health Victim Advocates at Eskenazi Health have provided nearly 200 services to more than 131 transgender and non-binary victims of violence, abuse, and neglect. Eskenazi’s innovative approach to delivering services to LGBTQ+ patients through dedicated and specially trained advocates has improved both short- and long-term outcomes for these victims of violence, and demonstrated the clear need for victim advocates and life-saving services for the LGBTQ+ community.

Linda Stambaugh is a Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for the Fourth Circuit Court of South Dakota. A champion for children who have been abused and neglected, Ms. Stambaugh was appointed to her first case 9 days after completing her pre-service training. The case involved four siblings, between the ages of 2−6, who had been neglected by their biological parents. Ms. Stambaugh went above and beyond her volunteer advocate role during the 1.5 years the case was open. Her steadfast dedication helped stop the cycle of child abuse and neglect for these four children and set them on a path where they can safely heal and grow.

Dr. Chapin has published over 50 articles about violence prevention in prestigious national and international journals. Dr. Chapin shares his expertise and research with local school districts, nonprofits, and church and community parent organizations. He has offered violence prevention and media violence workshops and workshops with journalists in multiple states about how to cover crime without re-victimizing survivors.

The Every Voice Coalition strives to end campus sexual violence. The coalition was founded in 2016 by students, young alumni, allies, and survivors of sexual violence in Massachusetts. The fierce, dedicated, and tireless advocates of The Every Voice Coalition demand safety for students across our Nation. Their efforts to combat and prevent campus sexual assault are admirable. What began as grassroots work has shown students and survivors that their voices matter and are heard.

This program has furthered environmental justice by strengthening tools for the detection of environmental crimes in overburdened communities, improving outreach to the victims of such crimes, and ensuring that investigations are structured to provide maximum assistance to the U.S. Department of Justice in its exercise of prosecutorial discretion and pursuit of remedies that will guarantee adequate protection for those communities.

The Asset Forfeiture Unit and the Financial Litigation Program in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee is extraordinarily committed to recovering illegally obtained funds and returning them to victims of crime. Their innovative approaches and practices have substantially benefitted Tennessee crime victims who suffered financial harm as a result of criminal conduct.

Gail Gardner is a survivor who experienced a home invasion and rape by an unknown perpetrator as a single mom in 1988. For many years, she waited to learn her perpetrator’s identity. As a life-long advocate for victims of random or familial sexual attacks, Ms. Gardner is the namesake of Florida’s Gail’s Law, which requires rape kit tracking via a database for victims to be kept aware of the status of their case evidence throughout the testing process.

Suamhirs Piraino-Guzman was abducted from Honduras as a child in 2004 and brought to the United States, where he was trafficked. He was abused and exploited in California until a police raid discovered him. Driven by his desire to ensure that children, immigrants, and human trafficking survivors receive better support, Mr. Piraino-Guzman has shared his experiences and built a career of service and inspiration.