Mendocino GJ: Supes cut Victim/Witness job after investigation

Ukiah Daily Journal Staff
Updated: 06/02/2011 11:59:55 PM PDT

The Mendocino County grand jury released a report about the District Attorney's Office's Victim/Witness Assistance Program on Tuesday, a week after cuts were approved that affect the program's staffing.

The report, titled "Please Help Me: A Report on Mendocino County Victim Witness Program," is available on the grand jury's website, www.co.mendocino.ca.us/grandjury.

An e-mail from grand jury forewoman Kathy Wylie announcing the report's release notes that the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors on May 24 approved layoffs in the District Attorney's Office, including a Victim/Witness advocate dedicated to child abuse prosecution.

"This action was taken after the completion of the grand jury's investigation, but before the public release of this report," she writes. "The BOS action was taken despite the district attorney's warning on the record that they were relying on wrong numbers from the (county) CEO's Office and despite their being told there is alternative funding streams (sic) for the impacted ... advocate."

The funding for the position, and several others named for layoff in the District Attorney's Office, Sheriff's Office and Probation Department, is the county's portion of vehicle license fees collected and distributed by the state. The fees sunset at the end of the month, and Mendocino County stands to lose $1.2 million of the revenue unless the fees are extended or otherwise replaced.

District Attorney David Eyster, Sheriff Tom Allman and Chief Probation Officer Jim Brown urged the board to wait on the layoffs, saying they were confident the revenue would be replenished. The board approved the layoffs in a 3-2 vote.

The VWP is funded by the California Emergency Management Agency, the county District Attorney's Office budget and grants, according to the grand jury.

The grand jury also determined a complaint about the program "had no merit because the victim (who made the complaint to the grand jury) did not complete the program," according to the report's summary.

"The VWP is victim-driven, which means the victim must be willing to participate and complete the program," the grand jury states.

The program aims to "reduce trauma and insensitive treatment of victims/witnesses," and help them through the criminal justice system while helping the system understand victims' needs, according to the report.

The Victim/Witness Protection Program, which relocates victims or witnesses of serious felonies and gives them new identities, is separate form the VWP, and isn't administered by the VWP.

The VWP helps arrange law enforcement protection for victims, notifies victims of court dates, gives counseling referral and helps victims file applications to the California State Victim Compensation Program, which offers help paying bills and expenses that are the direct result of a violent crime.

Advocates working for the program inform victims that the VWP offers crisis intervention, emergency assistance, help getting restraining orders, court escort services, translation/interpreter services, help providing a victim impact statement for court, notification of court dates, counseling referrals, transportation to court, advisement of case disposition, orientation to the criminal justice system, community resource referrals, help getting property returned, employer notification and restitution assistance.

VWP staff includes a coordinator and grant writer, two assistants and four victim advocates, two of whom are bilingual, according to the report -- not counting the recently approved layoff.

http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_18197520