Gov. Newsom’s Revised Budget Reflects Unprecedented Commitment to Expanding Access to Services for Survivors of Crime

Investments in Trauma Screening for Children, Restorative Justice Part of Comprehensive Approach to Safety

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 9, 2019

CONTACT:

Will Matthews, Californians for Safety and Justice, (909) 261 1398;  [email protected]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Gov. Gavin Newsom demonstrated an unprecedented commitment to meeting the needs of survivors of crime by prioritizing investments in childhood trauma screening and restorative justice in the revised state budget he submitted to the legislature Thursday.

Newsom’s revised budget also seeks to eliminate the various barriers that serve to block access to victims’ compensation and deter survivors of crime from seeking the services they need and are entitled to under the law.

Included in the governor’s budget is more than $100 million for improving trauma screening for children and the training of health care providers charged with performing the screenings and providing treatment for children experiencing trauma stemming from adverse childhood experiences. The budget also contains an increased allocation for restorative justice programs and increased incentives for local jurisdictions to include restorative justice among the options for case resolution as an alternative to traditional prosecution for victims interested in pursuing such an option. Additionally, the revised budget contains a commitment that the Newsom administration will develop during the next year a plan for consolidating within a new state department under the Government Operations Agency the victims programs currently housed within the Office of Emergency Services and the Victims’ Compensation Board.

Tinisch Hollins, California state director for Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice: “Gov. Newsom is to be commended for submitting a revised budget that takes seriously the needs of crime survivors and demonstrates a commitment to pursuing a smart safety strategy that is responsive to survivor voices. Creating safe and healthy communities requires ensuring survivors of crime access the services they need to recover and working together to stop the cycle of crime. We look forward to continuing to work with the governor on shared safety priorities.”

Jay Jordan, executive director of Californians for Safety and Justice: “We applaud Gov. Newsom for standing firmly with survivors of crime and for listening when they demand approaches to community safety that include healing and prevention and not just incarceration. Since its founding, Californians for Safety and Justice has pioneered an effort to ensure the voices of survivors are at the center of policymaking by creating the largest network of crime survivors in the state. We are deeply grateful for the governor’s partnership in this transformative work for safety and justice in California.”