{"id":131,"date":"2016-11-18T03:48:59","date_gmt":"2016-11-18T03:48:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jan-collins.com\/?p=131"},"modified":"2020-01-29T03:49:28","modified_gmt":"2020-01-29T03:49:28","slug":"a-message-straight-from-the-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jan-collins.com\/a-message-straight-from-the-heart\/","title":{"rendered":"A Message Straight from the Heart"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
We recently observed national Domestic Violence Month, and, for a change, The Palmetto State received some (relatively) good news: We are no longer the deadliest state in the country for women murdered by men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
South Carolina is now #5, behind Alaska, Louisiana, Nevada, and Oklahoma, according to a report released three weeks ago by the Violence Policy Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That South Carolina has dropped to fifth place, after several shameful years of being #1 or #2, is not exactly like winning the lottery. But it does show we are making progress in addressing domestic violence in this state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gov. Nikki Haley has been among those leading the charge. In March, she signed new legislation that gives local law enforcement more tools to investigate domestic violence deaths in order to figure out where current laws and resources fell short. So now, each of the 16 judicial circuits in South Carolina has a committee to track cases of domestic violence on the local level and try to find solutions case-by-case. These new committees are in addition to the statewide Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee created by the legislature in 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition, South Carolina legislators approved $2.9 million this year in the state budget to hire additional prosecutors to handle domestic violence cases across the state. Domestic violence penalties were also strengthened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But there is much more to be done. Come January, the General Assembly will have the chance to transform the much-criticized and fragmented support system for domestic violence victims into a comprehensive system that should actually work. This will happen if legislation is approved that would consolidate several crime victim service agencies under one entity (the Crime Victim Services Office) and under one umbrella (the office of the state Attorney General).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is said to be broad bi-partisan support for the bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n