As we approach National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (April 19-25), Marsy’s Law for Georgia would like to spotlight and amplify victims’ voices. Oftentimes, a victim’s journey does not end once the incident has passed, once the culprit has been caught, or even once the trial is over.
For Julia Russell, her connection to Marsy’s Law for Georgia is not just part of her professional journey; it is part of her personal one.
When Russell and her husband were hit by a drunk driver 12 years ago — an accident that tragically killed her husband and left her wheelchair bound after more than 12 weeks in the hospital — she faced a long and unlikely recovery. However, she made it her mission to push through the poor odds her doctors had given her and not only recover but dedicate herself to helping others by becoming a volunteer victim advocate for the Georgia Office of Victim Services (GOVS).
It was through GOVS that she learned about Marsy’s Law for Georgia and all the ways they could help support her during her physical and emotional recovery. “Once I found out Marsy’s Law for Georgia existed, they walked with me every step of the way. They let me know I had a voice when it came to the young lady being sentenced — during the whole process of parole [and] even [meeting] with the parole board,” she says.
GOVS did not just help Russell through court proceedings, though. They also stayed with her during the driver’s five-year incarceration, helping her set up a victim-offender dialogue, getting her meetings with the parole board, and notifying her prior to the driver’s release.
“I don't know how I would have been able to do all I was able to do and understand the system if Marsy’s Law had not been in place to give GOVS the opportunity to put the law into action. And so therefore, they were my support system. They were my voice, and they gave me the support and the information that I needed.”
This experience inspired her to sign up to be a volunteer victim advocate with GOVS; she wanted to help others in the same way that GOVS and Marsy’s Law for Georgia had helped her. As she explains it, “I'm a part of them, to help others with their walk so that people will not feel like they are alone or uneducated about their rights.”
During her years of work with GOVS, Russell has had the opportunity to see the impact that Marsy’s Law for Georgia has on others and be part of that impact herself.
Russell recalls an instance of a woman approaching her at an event for a foundation she established in honor of her husband, to tell her that she had no idea that resources like GOVS and Marsy’s Law for Georgia existed, or that victims were protected by certain rights. Russell says she has kept in touch with the woman since then, not just to help her access resources as she needs, but also to make sure that she never feels alone.
“We need the support because without that, some people will get lost in the shuffle or become so despondent and live in despair because they don’t know what to do,” Russell says, “but because of GOVS and Marsy’s Law for Georgia, I believe victims will become overcomers, because they have the support they need.”
As an “overcomer” herself, Russell is grateful every day for the impact that Marsy’s Law for Georgia and the Georgia Office of Victim Services had on her recovery and continues her journey of passing that impact along by helping other people process their trauma, find the resources they need, and make it out the other side even stronger.
Both GOVS’ and Marsy’s Law for Georgia’s missions are beautifully represented by this year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week theme: “Listen. Act. Advocate.” Elevating victims’ voices should be at the top of every law enforcement’s priority during the pursuit of justice.