Crime victims come together to raise awareness of resources

Alabama, like all states, has a program to compensate victims of violence. But very few survivors take advantage of such programs.

Sheree Kennon is hosting an event Friday evening trying to change that.

In 2021, Kennon lost her son to gun violence. Now, she is an advocate for survivors and their families across Alabama.

“I wasn’t able to get those services because I didn’t know about them,” Kennon said. 

The Alliance for Safety and Justice, an advocacy organization for safety and justice reform, is co-hosting the event with Keenon. The alliance reports that only 4% of violent crime survivors know about victim compensation programs.

Aswad Thomas, organization vice president, said Alabama’s compensation system can cover things like funeral expenses and mental health care. But even victims who do know about the program sometimes don’t get access to state support.

“The majority of crime victims that have applied for the program have been denied access to the program because of some of the policy barriers that exist,” Thomas said. 

Thomas said these barriers include a requirement to submit a police report within 72 hours of the crime and apply for support within one year. Kennon says when she finally heard about victim compensation programs, the deadline to apply in her case had expired. She hopes people attending the event can avoid that by learning more about the process and getting assistance with their applications. 

The event is being held at 1200 Tuscaloosa Avenue in Birmingham at 6 p.m.