As part of our ongoing effort to elevate voices calling for equal rights for crime victims, we’re pleased to share this letter to the editor from Patara Horn, originally published by the Wisconsin State Journal.
Dear Editor,
Across 15 years of public service — spanning child welfare, family assistance, early childhood education, and human services administration — I have observed a persistent and troubling pattern: Those most in need of institutional support are frequently the least aware of what they are entitled to receive. Marsy’s Law challenges this notion.
By establishing constitutional rights for crime victims -- among them the right to notification, the right to be heard and the right to be treated with dignity throughout the criminal justice process — Marsy’s Law creates a meaningful framework for how institutions must engage with the people they serve. Dignity is not incidental to effective service delivery — it’s foundational to it. When individuals feel respected and informed, they are better able to engage with the systems designed to support them.
Wisconsin offers substantive resources for victims: victim-witness assistance programs, the Office of Crime Victim Services, compensation funds and community-based advocacy networks. What requires continued attention is ensuring that victims know they exist — and that every point of contact in the system reflects both the letter and the spirit of the rights now guaranteed to them by law.
Legal protections are only as meaningful as their implementation. Victims deserve both.
Patara Horn, Verona