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To commemorate this year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW), Marsy’s Law for Georgia, a leading victims’ rights advocacy group, presented WSB-TV reporter Tom Jones with its Champion Award on Tuesday, April 21, for his victim-focused, compassionate reporting on crime and justice. Falling on April 19-25 this year, the NCVRW theme, “Listen. Act. Advocate. – Protect victims, serve communities,” is a message Jones conveys in his news stories.
After reporting on crime and courts for nearly 30 years, Jones developed immense empathy for those who suffered a traumatic incident at someone else’s hands. Through his stories, he discovered repeat offenders escalating from assault to murder because each county had different records, and victims traumatized years later because they thought their offender was incarcerated but had been set free without their knowledge. Uncovering these facts made Jones shift his perspective to capture the victim’s point of view.
Tom’s commitment to trauma-informed, victim-centered reporting ensures stories are told with dignity and respect, helping the public see victims as people, not just headlines,” said Dr. Rita Davis-Cannon, Marsy’s Law for Georgia advisory board member and Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia victim services director.
Held each year, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is a nationwide campaign dedicated to raising public awareness and inspiring individuals and organizations to break down the barriers that stand between crime victims and the justice they deserve. Marsy's Law for Georgia proudly honors the achievements of those who champion victims' rights, fostering a culture of safety and solidarity while amplifying the voices of advocates who tirelessly work in the best interest of all victims.
“My biggest takeaway from Crime Victims’ Week is it's sad that there is even a need for it,” said Jones. “We should highlight and be cognizant of how debilitating and mentally draining it is to be a victim every day — how victims have to often fight for justice when the justice system should be fighting for them. It's important to capture the story from the victim's point of view because in most cases they didn't ask for their lives to be ended, their bodies maimed or their lives disrupted.”
Earlier this month, Marsy’s Law for Georgia recognized the Georgia Office of Victim Services Director Keir Chapple and Henry County Sheriff Reginald Scandrett. Past recipients of the Marsy’s Law Champion Award include U.S. Sen. John Lewis, U.S. Sen. Reverend Raphael Warnock, Rep. Lucy McBath, Cobb County District Attorney Flynn Broady, former Georgia Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan, and Georgia’s First Lady Marty Kemp. Additional recipients will be announced throughout the year. To nominate a crime victims’ advocate for consideration, please contact Frances Chang at fchang@c21pr.com