BIG NEWS from the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General!

On March 13th, 2023, the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General issued Law Enforcement Directive 2023-1. With this directive, the retention time for "hold" kits (what we call the kits collected when the survivor chooses to go Jane/John Doe) is extended from 5 years from the date of collection to 20 years from the date of collection or -if a minor - 20 years from the minor's 18th birthday. This provides survivors with additional time to decide if they want to pursue their case, or not. 

Healing is a non-linear, ongoing process that looks different for each survivor. Having this extension allows the survivor to heal and cope in their own way, then decide if/when to continue with the process when they are ready. 

To learn more about Law Enforcement Directive 2023-1 and the impact it will have on evidence collection and retention, click HERE.

Recite Me

In an effort to make our blog accessible and inclusive to any and every one, we have added the Recite Me web accessibility and language toolbar. Recite Me is an innovative cloud-based software that lets visitors view and use our blog in a way that works best for them.

It was created to assist individuals with disabilities, including those with common conditions like sight loss and dyslexia.

It also translates our web content into over 100 different languages.

How do I access the Recite Me toolbar?

You can open the Recite Me language and accessibility toolbar by clicking on the Accessibility and Language Options button on the top right of our blog.

After you click on the Accessibility and Language Options button, the Recite Me toolbar opens and displays a unique range of functions for customizing the way the page looks and ways you can interact with the content.

You can use it to:

• Read website text aloud (including PDFs)
• Download the text as an MP3 file to play it where and when it suits you
• Change font sizes and colors
• Customize background-color
• Translate text into more than 100 different languages
• Access a fully integrated dictionary and thesaurus

You can find out more about how Recite Me works from the Recite Me user guide.

Red Sand Project 9.21.22

What better reason to paint the town red than a symbolic public art installation!

It was a pleasure to participate in the Red Sand Project, hosted by The Salvation Army of Elizabeth Anti-Human Trafficking Team alongside City of Elizabeth Mayor Bollwage,  Elizabeth Police Director, Earl Graves, Elizabeth Chief of Police, Giacomo Sacca, and Red Sand Project creator and artist Molly Gochman. 

The red sand was used to fill the cracks in the sidewalk as a symbolic commitment to not let the people vulnerable to human trafficking, or survivors of trafficking, fall through the cracks. 

Thank you to Ms. Gochman for bringing this creative movement to the City of Elizabeth!

Victim Services Expansion Meeting with Unchained at Last

We would like to say THANK YOU to Samantha Marder of Unchained at Last for stopping by to share information on this amazing organization. 

Unchained At Last is a survivor-led nonprofit organization dedicated to ending forced and child marriage in the United States through direct services and advocacy.

Unchained provides crucial legal and social services, always for free, to help women, girls and others in the U.S. to escape arranged/forced marriages and rebuild their lives. At the same time, Unchained pushes for social, policy and legal change; the organization started and now leads a growing national movement to eliminate child marriage in every U.S. state and at the federal level.

Also...

Let's not forget the most ADORABLE facility pup, Fairfax!

Fairfax is an expertly trained facility dog. He follows more than 30 commands, and he can execute complex tasks to engage and console clients by following command sequences. 

To learn more about their organization, and Fairfax, click their logo below.

And be sure to follow them on Facebook and InstaGram!