Charleston prison marks Crime Victims' Rights Week with ceremony

CHARLESTON -- The Southeast Correctional Center in Charleston took time on Tuesday to acknowledge crime victims and their rights and address steps to repair harm caused to society.

Nearly 100 people gathered to shed light on National Crime Victims' Rights Week, which ends Saturday.

Following a welcome by SECC Warden Ian Wallace, speakers included Kim Williams, executive director of Beacon Health Center; Robert Hearnes, chief of police for Charleston Department of Public Safety; Dr. John Wade of the Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology at Southeast Missouri State University; Dr. Linda Keena, associate professor of legal studies at University of Mississippi; and SECC offenders Randall Knese and Marlon Johnson, who discussed the Impact of Crime on Victims Class and the prison's restorative justice program.

Williams provided several statistics on crime victims, including those about children. She said one in 10 children in the U.S. are sexually abused before their 18th birthday. Ninety-three percent of victimized children are abused by somebody they know and trust.

"We've got to start with the kids and prevention programs," Williams said.

Seventy-three percent of children don't tell anyone about their abuse for at least a year. Many of them never tell at all, Williams said.

In addition, the economic impact of child sexual abuse is $35 billion annually, second only to murder, she said.

"I beg of you to keep an open dialogue with the children in your life. If we can make children feel safe and secure within their own communities and continue to do it year after year, our communities can start feeling safe as well," Williams said.

For the full story, see today's e-edition.