SENATE RESOLUTION

                            8680

By Senators Costa, Roach, Kohl-Welles and Spanel

     WHEREAS, April 22-28 is National Crime Victims= Rights Week, which is meant to increase public awareness and support of crime victims= rights and services; and

     WHEREAS, A violent crime is committed in the United States every nineteen seconds; and

     WHEREAS, Crime scenes will return to normal, but often the victims lives do not; and

     WHEREAS, About six million serious injuries occur each year from various crimes, resulting in either temporary or permanent disability, and about fifty-four  million Americans live with a wide variety of physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities that resulted from crimes; and

     WHEREAS, Just one youth who leaves high school for a life of crime and drug abuse costs society approximately two million dollars; and

     WHEREAS, While estimates are made of how much crime costs society, there is no real way to determine the cost and effect of a crime, because the disabilities and emotional trauma linger and affect victims throughout their lives; and

     WHEREAS, Workplace violence costs American businesses approximately $4.2 billion

a year, estimating a cost of $250,000 per employee in lost work time, the cost of medical and  employee benefits as well as legal expenses; and

     WHEREAS, It is estimated that one women is battered every nine seconds in the United States and 1.3 adult women are raped every minute; and

     WHEREAS, Law-abiding citizens are no less deserving of justice, rights, resources, restoration and rehabilitation than the violent offenders who harm them;

     NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate recognize the pain and suffering caused by crime and express its unequivocal support for crime victims nationwide, their family, and their friends; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the Washington Coalition of Crime Victim Advocates and Families and Friends of Violent Crime Victims.

I, Tony M. Cook, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 8680,

adopted by the Senate April 19, 2001.

TONY M. COOK

Secretary of the Senate