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« Board temporarily closes Club Pulse after shooting / Photo | Today | Health department warns of Norovirus in R.I. » December 27, 2006ACLU sues state treasurer over crime victim policyPROVIDENCE — The Rhode Island Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union sued General Treasurer Paul J. Tavares today, challenging new regulations that allow his office to deny or reduce compensation to crime victims who have been convicted of drunken-driving or drug-dealing offenses. The treasurer administers the state’s Crime Victim Compensation Program, which pays claims to crime victims under certain conditions. And over the past two years, Tavares has adopted regulations that allow him to deny or reduce compensation if, in the previous five years, crime victims have been convicted of driving while intoxicated, selling or delivering drugs, or possessing drugs with the intent to sell or deliver them. Steven Brown, executive director of the local ACLU affiliate, said it is “unfortunate that the General Treasurer has turned a program that is supposed to aid crime victims into one that punishes them for their past misdeeds. A former drug addict who is sexually assaulted should not have to fear reduced compensation because she once sold drugs to feed her habit.” ACLU volunteer lawyer Frederic Marzilli filed the suit in state Superior Court on behalf of the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Association of Rhode Island. The association's executive director, Neil A. Corkery, said, “The regulations discriminate and marginalize persons, many of whom have addiction disorders." He said, "If we really believe in the restorative potential of persons who receive treatment for addiction disorders, we need to abandon such negative stereotypes and regressive measures. The measure appears punitive in nature and lacking in logic in excluding individuals who, other than a prior indiscretion, appear to be assigned a double penalty.” -- Journal staff writer Edward Fitzpatrick Posted by Steve Peoples Commentsanonymous | December 27, 2006 3:25 PM link As a recovering addict I find this to be one of the most prejudicial ridiculous things ive read this year ...Paul J. Tavares has no buisness being in a position of authority ..i wonder if he would be willing to apply these standards to our current president who has been arrested for D.U.I. and cocaine possesion ...this is just one more bigoted mean spirited person who is hell bent on turning any citizen who made a mistake in thier past into second class citizens ..recovering addicts already face insurmountable obstacles in thier future's many have been convicted of non violent felony;s stripping them of thier voting and 2cnd amendment right's not to mention the problem's they face trying to get a decent job..the last thing they need is hateful mean uncompasionate people like Paul J. Tavares making thier lives even harder in a time when they are already down ... jim mcguire | December 29, 2006 8:39 AM link Post a commentPlease be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006
That Victims program is a joke. They employee 3-4 full time staff on tax payers dollars and also a part time attorney, all of which receive hefty pay as well as health benefits and pension! I am quite familiar with this department and it should be scrutinized by the newly elected General Treasurer if he is honorable enough to do it.