skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Groups Spotlight Services for LGBTQ+ Victims of Crime in MI

play audio
Play

Tuesday, April 26, 2022   

It's National Crime Victims' Rights Week, a time to raise awareness of victims' rights and services.

Equality Michigan is holding three community resource fairs this week in Bay City, Grand Rapids and the Detroit Metro Area, geared toward LGBTQ+ and HIV-affected communities experiencing violence, discrimination or harassment.

Serena Johnson, director of victims services for Equality Michigan, works to provide equitable, culturally appropriate and gender-affirming support to LGBTQ+ victims of crimes.

"We will be providing resources, tangible resources, free resources, for support for our victims," Johnson outlined. "And just to note, justice means something different to everybody. So it's not just one size fits all."

She pointed out the resource fairs will include a variety of community partners, so attendees can see the range of services available.

According to the U.S. Office for Victims of Crime, it is still a struggle to ensure survivors receive case notifications and updates on their options within the criminal justice system, and those in underserved communities who experience crime are often unaware support is available, or even compensation.

Johnson added justice can take various forms for victims of crimes, and it is important to take it into account.

"I've learned by going across the state of Michigan and sitting in different courtrooms that even with us being under the same state of Michigan criminal justice system, the approaches are very different," Johnson observed. "I think that what is most important is that person-centered awareness and support is necessary."

She noted there is a growing awareness of the need for person-centered approaches, both for victims and offenders. She stressed it is important for the criminal justice system to view everyone as a person to reduce recidivism and support victims equitably.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021