Office of the Attorney General
Attorney General's Office among Agencies Pooling Resources to Provide Free Victim Advocate Training

Attorney General Jack Conway has joined with other state government agencies to sponsor a free training conference today for Kentucky's victim assistance professionals and prosecutors. Due to budget constraints, the Attorney General's office worked closely with the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet as well as the Prosecutors Advisory Council (PAC) to provide free victim advocate training on Thursday, June 10 at the Capital Plaza Hotel in Frankfort, KY.

The training is being held in coordination with a free conference the Crime Victims Compensation Board is conducting on Friday, June 11, at the same location, to train advocates, prosecutors and other service providers on the victim compensation process. PAC, along with the federal Office for Victims of Crime and other state agencies and victim-related entities are supporting this event.

"I am pleased that we are able to pool the resources of our state government partners and our partners in the prosecutorial community to ensure that our agencies continue to provide needed training to victim advocates across the Commonwealth," said General Conway, who also serves as PAC's chairman. "Despite budget constraints, my office remains committed to victim advocacy and ensuring justice and healing for Kentucky's crime victims."

Nearly 200 victim advocates, prosecutors and others are expected to attend one or both days. The sessions will give victim assistance professionals the opportunity to improve skills, exchange views and develop innovative ideas to more efficiently deliver services to victims of violent crime.

"We're proud to be a partner in this project, which will help ensure that advocates have the tools they need to offer compassionate, knowledgeable and meaningful assistance to victims of crime," said Tanya Dickinson, Justice and Public Safety Cabinet's Grants Branch Manager.

Thursday's programs include: Beginner Victim Assistance Provider Orientation, 2010 Victim Legislation and New Developments in the Field, Cyber Security for Children and Adults and Ethics for Victims Advocates. Friday will include sessions on compensation, restitution and new trends in technology and how it can assist victim-service providers.

"We try to make things as easy as possible for victims," said Lindsay Crawford, Policy Advisor for the Crime Victims Compensation Board. "The way to do that is to educate everyone on how compensation works. We all want to be on the same page so that victims are not re-victimized as they go through the compensation process."

Anne Seymour, co-founder/senior advisor of Washington, D.C. based Justice Solutions, will serve as the keynote speaker at the Friday conference. Justice Solutions is a national non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing rights, resources and respect for victims and communities hurt by crime.