Moving Victims To Victors

The Georgia Crime Victims Bill of Rights is enacted to recognize victims’ basic rights and to require the city of Atlanta to commit resources to address crime victims’ needs. As a result, Atlanta’s first  Victim Witness Assistance Program (VWAP) is established, which later becomes Atlanta Victim Assistance, Inc. (AVA). To achieve its mission, the organization establishes strong partnerships with the Atlanta Police Department and the Atlanta Municipal Court.

The average monthly VWAP caseload is 345 clients, and the program is involved in court cases that provide varying degrees of assistance including notification, going to court with the victim, offering general information, and assisting the victim impact statements. 

Services are expanded to include areas which require a great level of expertise such as child physical and sexual abuse, support services to families and witnesses of homicide, and crimes against ethnic minorities and seniors. Victims are assisted whether or not an arrest is ever made in the case. 

Victim Witness Assistance Program (VWAP) is renamed to Atlanta Victim Assistance, Inc. (AVA).

AVA helps more than 5,000 victims of crime annually with services including, but not limited to: a 24-hour helpline; crisis intervention at the scene of the crime; pre-case intervention and follow-up; the facilitation of several specialized support groups including survivors and victims of homicide as well as domestic violence; access to emergency housing and funds to cover unforeseen medical, funeral, crime scene clean-up, and mental health counseling expenses; and education on the criminal justice process.

AVA expands its impact by establishing the School Advocates Program with Atlanta Public Schools and Purpose Built Schools, and places school-based advocates at Maynard

Jackson and Carver STEAM high schools to provide advocacy intervention and support services to students who are victims of crime.

Amid COVID-19, economic recession, and social unrest, increased crime affects communities nationwide, including in the city of Atlanta. As a result, AVA serves the largest annual number of individuals since the organization’s inception.

AVA celebrates its 40th anniversary of moving victims to victors. The organization remains committed to working directly with victims of all types of crime in Atlanta to ensure that their voices are heard and the road to healing is accessible. To effectively serve victims across the city, our staff includes more than 15 advocates who are placed in Atlanta Municipal Court, Atlanta Police Department Zones, Special Crime Victims Units, and two Title I high schools in the Atlanta Public Schools district.