CALCASA is proud to be hosting the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference in Los Angeles. September 1 – 3, 2010. To get announcements, registration information and other updates, contact CALCASA. www.calcasa.org

http://www.lacity.org/lafd/hween.htm  

Halloween Safety Tips from the Los Angeles Fire Department

BEFORE HALLOWEEN:

• Plan costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure that shoes fit well and that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame.
• Consider adding reflective tape or striping to costumes and trick-or-treat bags for greater visibility.
• Secure emergency identification (name, address, phone number) discreetly within Halloween attire or on a bracelet.
• Because a mask can limit or block eyesight, consider non-toxic and hypoallergenic makeup or a decorative hat as a safe alternative.
• When shopping for costumes, wigs and accessories, purchase only those with a label indicating they are flame resistant.
• Think twice before using simulated knives, guns or swords. If such props must be used, be certain they do not appear authentic and are soft and flexible to prevent injury.
• Obtain flashlights with fresh batteries for all children and their escorts.
• Plan ahead to use only battery powered lanterns or chemical lightsticks in place of candles in decorations and costumes.
• This is also a great time to buy fresh batteries for your home Smoke Alarms.
• Teach children their home phone number and to how call 9-1-1 (or their local emergency number) if they have an emergency or become lost. Remind them that 9-1-1 can be dialed free from any phone.
• Review with your children the principle of “Stop-Drop-Roll”, should their clothes catch on fire.
• Openly discuss appropriate and inappropriate behavior at Halloween time.
• Consider purchasing individually packaged healthy food alternatives (or safe non-food treats) for those who visit your home.
• Take extra effort to eliminate tripping hazards on your porch and walkway. Check around your property for flower pots, low tree limbs, support wires or garden hoses that may prove hazardous to young children rushing from house to house.
• Learn or review CPR skills to aid someone who is choking or having a heart attack.
• Consider safe party guidelines when hosting an Adult or Office Party.

FUN ALTERNATIVES:

• Find a special event or start one in your own neighborhood.
• Community Centers, Shopping Malls and Houses of Worship may have organized festivities.
• Share the fun by arranging a visit to a Retirement Home or Senior Center.
• Create an alliance with College Fraternities, Sororities or Service Clubs for children’s face painting or a carnival

BEFORE NIGHTFALL ON HALLOWEEN:

• A good meal prior to parties and trick-or-treating will discourage youngsters from filling up on Halloween treats.
• Consider fire safety when decorating. Do not overload electrical outlets with holiday lighting or special effects, and do not block exit doors.
• While children can help with the fun of designing a Jack O’ Lantern, leave the carving to adults.
• Always keep Jack O’ Lanterns and hot electric lamps far away from drapes, decorations, flammable materials or areas where children and pets will be standing or walking.
• Plan and review with your children the route and behavior which is acceptable to you.
• Do not permit children to bicycle, roller-blade or skateboard.
• Agree on a specific time when revelers must return home.
• Along with flashlights for all, older children and escorts should wear a wristwatch and carry coins for non-emergency phone calls.
• Confine, segregate or otherwise prepare household pets for an evening of frightful sights and sounds. Be sure that all dogs and cats are wearing collars and proper identification tags. Consult your veterinarian for further advice.
• Remind all household drivers to remain cautious and drive slowly throughout the community.
• Adult partygoers should establish and reward a designated driver.

WHEN TRICK-OR-TREATING:

• A Parent or responsible Adult should always accompany young children on their neighborhood rounds.
• Remind Trick-or-Treaters:
  • By using a flashlight, they can see and be seen by others.
  • Stay in a group, walk slowly and communicate where you are going.
  • Only trick-or-treat in well known neighborhoods at homes that have a porch light on.
  • Remain on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk.
  • If no sidewalk is available, walk at the farthest edge of the roadway facing traffic.
  • Never cut across yards or use alleys.
  • Never enter a stranger’s home or car for a treat.
  • Obey all traffic and pedestrian regulations.
  • Always walk. Never run across a street.
  • Only cross the street as a group in established crosswalks (as recognized by local custom).
  • Remove any mask or item that will limit eyesight before crossing a street, driveway or alley.
  • Don’t assume the right of way. Motorists may have trouble seeing Trick-or-Treaters. Just because one car stops, doesn’t mean others will.
  • Never consume unwrapped food items or open beverages that may be offered.
  • No treats are to be eaten until they are thoroughly checked by an Adult at home.
  • Law Enforcement authorities should be notified immediately of any suspicious or unlawful activity.

AFTER TRICK-OR-TREATING:

• Wait until children are home to sort and check treats. Though tampering is rare, a responsible Adult should closely examine all treats and throw away any spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious items.
• Try to apportion treats for the days following Halloween.
• Although sharing is encouraged, make sure items that can cause choking (such as hard candies), are given only to those of an appropriate age.

We wish you a safe and happy Halloween!

When I decided to get married at 19 my friends were all jealous, I had met the one.  He was tall, in the military and came from a strong religious family.  I walked down the aisle with a huge smile thinking about my happily ever after.  He deployed shortly after we were married, I was so proud to be a military wife.  I wrote him daily, was overly involved with everything for his unit and the ship he was on and even made sure that I spent holidays with his family even though he wasn’t there.  I wanted everything to be perfect during his deployment and when he came home.    
 
Shortly after his return he started changing.  He wasn’t the loving man that I married.  I just pushed it out of my mind thinking that maybe it was just the difference of being home versus ship life and finally living as a traditional married couple.  He started commenting on my wardrobe, my weight and ‘helping’ to make slight changes that would make ME feel better about myself.  It didn’t take long before the verbal became physical. 
 
Seven years ago I found the courage to leave that relationship and move forward.  I left that night with nothing but a backpack and no where to go. Being young and married, I was so focused on being a ‘good’ wife that I spent four years convincing myself that everything was ok.  It’s not like every day was bad, he did apologize each time, these were all good things that meant he was sorry… right?  After weekly trips to the emergency room, watching my hair fall out, my weight fluctuating drastically and a plethora of other medical issues, I finally realized that his apologies meant nothing.  Being hit, thrown, pushed and verbally abused and humiliated was not ok.
 
I would sneak into the house to get clothes while he was at work.  The day the lease was up, 2 months after I left, I had to get the rest of my belongings so I coordinated it with him and the military lawyer that I would be there alone.  He showed up while I was there.  He held me against the wall and choked me, for the first I wasn’t afraid.  I had finally surrendered that I would die at his mercy.  I will never know why he let me go but by the time I got off the floor and caught my breath he was gone.    
 
Three months after I left my husband I finally told my family that we were no longer together however I didn’t tell them why, I was so ashamed. I knew that there was a stigma and stereotype associated with victims of domestic violence; I didn’t want that following me.  I didn’t want people questioning why I stayed, why I didn’t leave the first time.  I knew that no one would understand the amount of control that this man had over me.

SACRAMENTO – In its effort to keep crime victims informed, the Office of Victim and Survivor Rights with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is asking crime victims to register for a new automated system that will soon provide real-time information about the custody status of their offenders. The new system was made possible by a federal grant. 

“This is a significant step forward in helping victims, and making sure their questions and concerns are addressed,” CDCR Secretary Matthew Cate said.  “The VINE system will allow victims to be notified with accurate information so that they can protect themselves and participate in the criminal justice process.”

The new statewide automated Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) system will provide a 24-hour service and will give registered victims an instant notice by phone or email about their offender’s whereabouts.

“We are hoping to have the VINE system up and running by next year, but we are putting the call out to the victims of this state so they can register before it’s launched,” said Assistant Secretary Sandi Menefee from the Office of Victim and Survivor Rights and Service.

The state was awarded federal grant funds from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) within the United States Department of Justice.  The state was awarded $500,000 in federal grant money with a $500,000 in-kind match provided in the form of redirected CDCR staff resources to manage the system.  The grant award will be in effect for two years.

The automated system will also inform victims and next-of-kin of when their offender is scheduled for a parole board hearing if they are serving a life term.

Currently, the state does not have a unified statewide victim notification system.

CDCR is using a paper-based system for victim notification and the process varies among the 33 institutions. 

California Penal Code and the addition of Marsy’s Law requires CDCR to notify witnesses, victims and next of kin if a violent offender is  released, escapes, dies, or is up for parole.

The Office of Victim and Survivor Rights and Service database documents that more than 20,000 victim notifications are made annually to victims of offenders in CDCR custody.

“The VINE system will be a more cost effective way to keep tabs on the thousands of offenders our office deals with on a daily basis,” said Menefee.  “Crime victims have been through enough already, this system will make it easier for them to get the information they need.”

CDCR and the California State Sheriff’s Association (CSSA) manage victim notification systems independent of each other.  This federal grant allows for an interface for both systems to come together – a seamless transition of an offender going from county jail to state prison.

CDCR operates and manages California’s 33 institutions, oversees a variety of community correctional facilities, and supervises parolees during their re-entry into society.  As part of its responsibilities, CDCR also adheres to the following legislative mandates in support of its vision to protect the public from crime and victimization.

If you are a victim of an offender that is serving time in the California state prison system, please call Office of Victim and Survivor Rights and Services at (877) 256-6877 to register for the upcoming VINE service.

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http://www.creators.com/opinion/diane-dimond/how-crime-victims-become-crime-survivors.html