Larson’s Victim Assistance Program Is 25 Years Old – It Is Recognized As One Of The Top Programs In The United States
By Gail Whitt
In 1982 President Ronald Reagan called upon our nation to take better care of crime victims. Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Larson responded. He sought to restore faith in the criminal justice system and give crime victims a voice they were never given before. More than 25 years later we are still working to improve the plight of crime victims.
President George H. W. Bush presents the Outstanding Victim Service Award to Ray Larson.
Ray Larson began the Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office’s Crime Victim Assistance Program in 1985. It was one of the first in Kentucky. Crime Victim Advocates followed the recommendations set out by the Task Force on Victims of Crime and quickly turned the program into one of the leading in the nation. In 1992 Ray Larson and the Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office’s Crime Victim Assistance Program were recognized at the White House by President George H. W. Bush as being one of the top three victim assistance programs in the United States.
The evolution of the program included input from crime victims and all agencies that assist crime victims. This network of support has been invaluable in developing and shaping the Crime Victim Assistance Program into one that has continued to promote fair treatment of crime victims.
In the beginning our goal was focused on enacting laws giving crime victims rights and services. Although some deficiencies still remain unmet, Ray Larson continues to find new ways to help crime victims. He is dedicated to establishing effective enforcement mechanisms that will expand the protection of innocent victims of crime.
Stay tuned in the following weeks as you will hear more about the Crime Victim Assistance Program, the advocates that make it work and the initiatives that will strengthen the protection of crime victims’ rights.