Victims’ Voices Heard Receives Byrne Grant for Inmate Sensitivity Training

A leading Delaware nonprofit that strives to reduce recidivism among incarcerated violent offenders has received a $40,000 grant to implement a sensitivity training program.

The Edward J. Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program, administered by the Delaware Criminal Justice Council, will help Victims’ Voices Heard (VVH) work annually with 100-120 incarcerated offenders who are one year or less from their release dates.

“This grant will help us move forward with a proven program to reduce recidivism, by encouraging violent crime offenders to accept responsibility for their criminal acts and inculcating in them a sense of empathy toward victims and survivors,” said VVH Executive Director Kim Book.

The first Victim Sensitivity Training (VST) was launched on April 12, 2011 at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Facility in Smyrna. Book said she hopes to fully implement the program at the three other Delaware correctional facilities by late 2012. The VST curriculum, Victim Impact: Listen and Learn, consists of 12 sessions that, using a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy framework, takes offenders through the stages of acceptance, responsibility and empathy.

Delaware is one of 19 states in the nation that have implemented similar training courses. Book’s long-term objective is to reach 240 offenders annually, which would represents 28 percent of the estimated 850 violent crime offenders released from Delaware correctional facilities each year.

Book said the training addresses a serious issue involving offenders who commit about 4,000 violent crimes in Delaware each year. Approximately 1,680 offenders are arrested for those crimes, which include homicide, DUI/vehicular homicide, sex crimes, assault and robbery, according to Book. When convicted, the typical offender spends less than 24 months in incarceration before release or parole. Once released, an estimated 65% of those offenders will commit further crimes and be re-imprisoned, according to a recent University of Delaware study.

“By drawing on successful past and current programs, we believe that we can significantly reduce the level of recidivism,” Book said. “Ours is the only initiative of its kind in Delaware for adult offenders and we are proud that the Criminal Justice Council is supporting us through this important grant.”