MICHIGAN SENATE
Senate Resolution No. 39
Offered by Senators Geiss, Santana, Moss, Camilleri, Hertel, McDonald Rivet, McMorrow,
Polehanki, Irwin, Bayer, Chang, Shink, Cavanagh, Klinefelt,
Cherry, Wojno, Singh, McCann and Brinks
A RESOLUTION TO RECOGNIZE APRIL 27, 2023, AS SURVIVORS
SPEAK MICHIGAN DAY, A PART OF NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMS RIGHTS’ WEEK
WHEREAS, Survivors Speak Michigan is organized by Crime Survivors for Safety and
Justice and the Alliance for Safety and Justice; and
WHEREAS, Crime and violence can harm any individual and community, regardless of
age, national origin, race, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, immigration, or economic
status; and
WHEREAS, Most crime survivors do not receive the help they need; and
WHEREAS, Only eight percent of all victims of violence receive direct assistance from a
victim service agency. This drops to four percent when the crime is unreported, which is the
case for more than half of all violent crimes; and
WHEREAS, Through their experiences, crime survivors are uniquely qualified to provide
essential input and inf luence in discussions of public safety and criminal justice policy; and
WHEREAS, Michigan must address the immediate safety concerns facing families and
invest in a long-term, comprehensive plan to address root causes of violence; and
WHEREAS, The voices and experiences of survivors are too often ignored, leading to
poor policy and justice system decisions that fail to meet the needs of survivors or stop the
cycle of crime; and
WHEREAS, Our state must support trauma recovery centers that play a critical role and
resource for survivors impacted by crime; and
WHEREAS, Crime survivors understand existing gaps to recovery and how to bridge
them; and
WHEREAS, Survivors want a system of justice and safety that prioritizes prevention,
rehabilitation, and trauma recovery; and
WHEREAS, Michigan needs to invest in programs that provide assistance to crime
victims and their families to effectively deal with the inherent trauma and residual effects
of violence; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the members of this legislative body recognize
April 27, 2023, as Survivors Speak Michigan Day, a part of National Crime Victims Rights’
Week; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we commend the survivors and advocates of Survivors Speak Michigan
for their work to stop violence and help those impacted by it.
Adopted by the Senate, April 27, 2023.
Secretary of the Senate