House Bills 4674-4675 – Part of the Safer Michigan Act – Will Improve the State's Victim Compensation Program and Expand Help for Victims

LANSING – Governor Gretchen Whitmer today signed into law House Bills 4674-4675 – two critical pieces of the bipartisan Safer Michigan Act – which increase support for Michigan crime victims by allowing all victims in need to access victim compensation, expanding victim compensation coverage to account for actual costs resulting from victimization, and increasing how much time crime victims have to apply for help. The Alliance for Safety and Justice (ASJ) and Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice (CSSJ) released the following statement from Aswad Thomas, vice president at ASJ and the national director for CSSJ, and Priscilla Bordayo, CSSJ's Michigan state manager:

“Today is a victory for Michigan crime survivors and those striving to make our communities safer. The facts have been clear – Michigan has been one of the worst states for victims trying to access victims compensation after experiencing a crime. Lack of access and inadequate support left many survivors behind as they struggled to heal.

While recovering from violence, survivors often find themselves at their most vulnerable. Excessive barriers to help makes the healing process even more difficult and sometimes impossible. That's why Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice – representing thousands of members in Michigan – worked to reform victim compensation through the Safer Michigan Act.

We applaud the legislature's bipartisan work to prioritize all victims of violent crime – especially Representatives Bronna Kahle and Bradley Slagh for standing with survivors. We also appreciate the support of the Crime Victim Service Commission for their partnership.

Thanks to Governor Whitmer, these critical reforms will now be the law of the land in Michigan. Safety is paramount for each of us and these reforms make safety more accessible for the people who need it the most.”

About the Alliance for Safety and Justice

The Alliance for Safety and Justice is a national organization that aims to win evidence-based new safety priorities in states across the country. It also brings together diverse crime survivors to advance policies that help communities most harmed by crime and violence, as part of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice – its national network of over 90,000 crime survivors with thousands of members in Michigan. For more information, visit: https://allianceforsafetyandjustice.org or https://cssj.org.

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