For the 18th year, Offenders will attend Anti-Sexual Abuse Victim Impact Program
When it comes time for trick-or-treaters to knock on doors this Halloween, local sex offenders will once again be attending an anti-sexual abuse victim impact program designed to keep sex offenders off the streets. The annual program is run by the Westchester County Department of Probation.
Over 100 registered and non-registered sex offenders on probation in Westchester County are required to attend an educational program at the Westchester County Courthouse on Thursday, October 31 from 5:30 to 10 p.m. This program is designed to educate offenders and raise awareness about the impact of their actions.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer said: “Our top priority in Westchester County will always be our children, and we are doing everything we can to ensure they are safe when they go trick-or-treating on Halloween night. Parents should remind their kids to travel in groups and come home at a reasonable hour, but they shouldn’t have to worry about the potential dangers of sex offenders. This program guarantees that all local sex offenders will be accounted for in Westchester County.”
The offenders will hear compelling accounts of devastation perpetrated on children and adult victims, and gain insight into how those acts can reverberate through a victim’s life. Former President and Media Coordinator of MaleSurvivor.org Curtis St. John will share his personal story and experiences regarding the impact of abuse, and his journey to recovery. Through the office of WestCOP/Victims Assistance Services, Karen D. Carroll, RN/Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, will share her personal experience as a survivor of marital rape.
Program Director of Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) Crime Victims Advocacy Support Services Program (CVASSP) Josefa Romero, and Kristian Garcia from WestCOP/Victims Assistance Services will conduct educational sessions for Spanish-speaking sex offenders. Licia Sandberg, an attorney and the founder and Senior Director of the Westchester Medical Center’s SAAVE program, will offer a victim’s perspective, drawing from her personal experiences and her legal work as an advocate. Susan Carroll, an attorney and Director of Training and Outreach at the PACE Women’s Justice Center, will raise awareness by discussing the legal and trauma-related impacts on survivors and the long-term “costs” to individuals and society.
While the program is in progress, Westchester County probation officers will be out in the community actively tracking down offenders who fail to attend the event. To ensure community safety, offenders will not be allowed to use public transportation after the event. Probation officers will provide transportation home for any offender who needs it.
For more information about the Westchester County Department of Probation, visit our website. This program is not open to the media.
