On the Job 

Each year for the past 25 years, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office has been hosting a spring gathering of victims’ advocates so they can share ideas, learn about new issues and be inspired by others in the field. Since the first Two Days in May Conference on Victim Assistance in 1991, the milestones and memories have been piling up. Here are some highlights from the victims’ advocacy movement since the first Two Days in May to the present:

May 17-18, 1991: The first Two Days in May takes place at the Radisson Hotel in Columbus. The event, put together by Ohio Attorney General Lee Fisher’s Crime Victims Assistance Office, offers workshops on topics ranging from “Selecting an Attorney” to “Recruiting and Training Volunteer Victim Advocates.” The featured speaker is Marlene Young, executive director of the National Organization for Victim Assistance in Washington.

April 1, 1992: Senate Bill 32 is enacted to allow county boards of commissioners to appropriate tax levies to support crime victim assistance programs.

May 29-30, 1992: Two Days in May, held at the Dayton Marriott Hotel, boasts workshops on topics from “Substance-Addicted Moms” to “Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse as It Relates to Violence and Victimization.” John Walsh, who became an advocate for missing children after the 1981 abduction and murder of his son, Adam, addresses the 500 attendees.

Aug. 6, 1992: Gov. George V. Voinovich signs House Bill 536 offering protection to victims of stalking.

Dec. 17, 1992: Senate Bill 275, calling for drunken drivers to have their licenses confiscated on the spot and repeat offenders to possibly have their vehicles seized, is signed by the governor.

May 14-15, 1993: Two Days in May, at the Sheraton City Centre Hotel in Cleveland, opens with an address by Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Cuyahoga County prosecutor. Among the featured speakers is Janice Lord, national director of victim services for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

May 6-7, 1994: Two Days in May, at the Sheraton Cleveland City Centre Hotel, presents workshops on topics from “Basic Crisis Intervention” to “Crime Victims Compensation for Child Victims.” Carolyn Hightower, acting director of the Federal Victims of Crime Office, and Sarah Brady, chairwoman of the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, are featured speakers.

May 12-13, 1995: Two Days in May, at the Radisson Hotel Toledo, is presented by the Crime Victims Assistance Office of Ohio Attorney General Betty Montgomery. “Child Victims of Domestic Violence: Legal Rights and Remedies” and “The Role of Community Policing” are among the workshops offered. Carolyn Sapp, Miss America 1992, talks about how she was affected by domestic violence.

July 1, 1997: The Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Law takes effect in Ohio.

July 15, 1997: Gov. Voinovich signs into law Senate Bill 53, which expands the offenses for which videotaped deposition and testimony by child victims is allowed.

May 11-12, 1998: Two Days in May moves to the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Columbus, where it will stay for 10 years. The event offers 45 workshops including “Helping Youth Cope With Trauma” and “Avoid Turf Battles: Collaborate Your Services.” Terry Anderson, a former Associated Press correspondent held hostage in Lebanon for almost seven years, gives the keynote address.

May 26-27, 1999: Two Days in May offers 45 workshops including “Stalking: A Complex Issue” and “Victim to Perpetrator: When Children Kill.” Michael Turpen, former Attorney General of Oklahoma, is a featured speaker.

Nov. 22, 1999: House Bill 3, which gives victims of juvenile crimes the same rights as victims of offenses committed by adults and calls for victims to be notified of any hearings or release proceedings for the offender, takes effect.

May 15-16, 2000: Two Days in May features workshops on topics ranging from “The Color of Justice: Multiculturalism in Crime Victim Counseling and Assistance” to “Morita Therapy in Counseling and Serving Crime Victims.” Psychologist James Garbarino, an expert on violent children, addresses the gathering.

May 23-24, 2001: Two Days in May boasts workshops including “Law Enforcement and Victim Advocates Working Together” and “HIV/AIDS: What You Need to Know.” Gavin de Becker, a national expert on predicting and managing violent behavior, delivers the opening address.

May 14-15, 2002: Two Days in May presents workshops on topics from “Cyber Crimes” to “Domestic Terrorism: Ohio’s Preparedness.” Yvette McGee Brown, president for the Center of Child and Family Advocacy, is one of the speakers.
June 19, 2002: Gov. Bob Taft signs Senate Bill 123 to revise traffic laws to expand drunken driving rules to include vehicles without motors, and to make yellow-with-red license plates mandatory for repeat offenders.

Nov. 1, 2002: Senate Bill 8, a cyberstalking law that expands stalking laws to include computer postings and electronic communications, goes into effect.

May 12-13, 2003: Two Days in May is presented by the Crime Victims Assistance Office of Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro and features workshops including “Building Medical Services for Child Victims” and “The Amber Plan and Other Missing Children Resources.” John Gillis, director of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime, is a featured speaker during the awards luncheon.

July 31, 2003: Senate Bill 5, which strengthens the Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Law requirements and creates a statewide Internet database of sex offenders, becomes law.

May 13-14, 2004: Two Days in May offers workshops including “Vicarious Trauma: Compassion, Fatigue and Creating Resiliency” and “Death Notification and Other Traumas: Breaking the News With Sensitive Delivery.” Army Lt. Col. Brian Birdwell, a 9/11 Pentagon survivor, is among the speakers.

May 9-10, 2005: Two Days in May boasts workshops on topics from “The Brain Chemistry of Addiction: Truth and Consequences” to “Volunteer Management 101.”  Abigail Wexner, founder of the Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence, is a featured speaker.

May 23-24, 2006: Two Days in May presents workshops covering subjects from “The Body’s Response to Trauma” to “National Advocate Credentialing Program: Encouraging Professional Unity in the Victim Assistance Field.” Paul Greenwood, the head of the Elder Abuse Prosecution Unit at the San Diego District Attorney’s Office, gives the keynote address.
June 30, 2007: Senate Bill 97, which updates Ohio law to comply with federal regulations and the Adam Walsh Act to protect children from sexual offenders, takes effect.

May 7-9, 2007: Two Days in May presents workshops on topics from “Quality and Outcomes in Victim Assistance” to “Issues and Implications for Cyber Safety.” Parry Aftab, a pioneer in the field of Internet law, offers the keynote address.

May 12-13, 2008: Two Days in May takes place at the John S. Knight Center in Akron and presents workshops including “Abuse in Ohio: It’s Getting Old” and “Measuring Quality in Victim Services.” Online registration is introduced. Ohio Supreme Court Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton is among the featured speakers.

May 7-8, 2009: Two Days in May, with the theme “Faces of Victimization,” takes place at the Dayton Convention Center. Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray presents a Q&A session. Attendees choose from workshops on topics such as “Teen Dating Violence” and “Providing Victim Services to Military Families.” Lisa Carroll, a registered nurse and violence prevention specialist, gives the keynote address.

Dec. 29, 2010: House Bill 19, which requires all school districts to adopt a dating violence policy and include dating violence education in the health curriculum, is signed into law by Gov. Ted Strickland.

March 17, 2010: House Bill 10, which allows juvenile victims of domestic violence to seek protection orders against their juvenile tormenters, is signed into law by Gov. Strickland.

May 24-25, 2010: Two Days in May, with the theme “Collaborating to Provide 21^st Century Victim Services,” stresses the importance of teamwork. Workshops from “Ethical Issues for Advocates in Crime Victim Services” to “Media Training for Advocacy Organizations” are offered. An expert on human trafficking, Celia Williamson, is among the speakers.

Dec. 5, 2011: Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announces the submissions policy for the Sexual Assault Kit Testing Initiative.

May 16-17, 2011: Organized by the Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine’s Crime Victim Services Section, the event marks the milestone year with the theme “Celebrating 20 Years of Resiliency in Ohio.” With criminal justice- and victim-related workshops at the Hyatt Regency Columbus, the conference covers topics from “The Connection Between Bullying, Dating Violence, and Relationship Violence” to “Intervention and Prevention Strategies for Campus Safety.”  The Ohio Elder Abuse Research Symposium, a first for Ohio, is included in the conference.

Aug. 15, 2011: Attorney General DeWine reconvenes the Human Trafficking Commission to identify ways to help victims and investigate and prosecute traffickers.

Sept. 30, 2011: House Bill 86, a major revision to the Crime Victim Reparations Program goes into effect.

Nov. 18, 2011: Attorney General DeWine launches the Crimes Against Children Initiative, a comprehensive plan to identify, arrest and convict child predators.

May 10-11, 2012: With the theme “Mission Possible: Let No Victim Stand Alone,” the Two Days in May conference builds on the anniversary event with updated sessions from professionals in the crime victim movement. Attorney General DeWine takes part in a Foster Youth Symposium to bring together practitioners and policymakers to talk about the problem of youths aging out of the foster care system before they are ready for adulthood.

June 27, 2012: Gov. John Kasich signs House Bill 262, an anti-human-trafficking bill that shields juvenile victims from prostitution charges, makes human trafficking a first-degree felony and establishes a victim assistance fund using assets from traffickers.

Oct. 4, 2012: Attorney General DeWine announces the formation of the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force.

Nov. 4, 2012: House Bill 116, the Jessica Logan Act, goes into effect expanding school anti-bullying policies to include acts committed through electronic communication devices, such as cellphones and computers.

March 20, 2013: Attorney General DeWine announces the formation of a Sexual Assault Services Expansion Program after a survey by his office found that only 36 Ohio counties offer comprehensive services for sexual assault victims.

March 22, 2013: Senate Bill 160, also known as Roberta’s Law, requiring that crime victims and their families be notified when an offender is up for parole or early release, takes effect.

May 14-15, 2013: Two Days in May focuses on “Empowering Ohio’s Most Vulnerable” with an anti-bullying symposium featuring Attorney General DeWine as well as leaders in education, health and criminal justice. Speakers Julie Kenniston of the Butler County Children Services, Doug Delong, an abuse survivor, Ronald Honberg of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and Ronald Stephens of the National Center for School Safety, set the tone for the event.

May 12-13, 2014: Two Days in May looks at “Access to Justice for Victims of Crime” and shows that many organizations and service providers are ready to help, but people might be unaware of what is available. Judge Paul Herbert of Franklin County Municipal Court, Barbara Freeman, a motivational speaker and CATCH Court Graduate, psychologist Veronique Valliere, and Phil Chalmers, a researcher and author, cover aspects of the topic.

May 4-5, 2015: With the theme “Advancing Advocacy to Serve All Crime Victims,” Two Days in May assembles speakers and workshops to delve into the subject. Speakers Vernā Myers of Vernā Myers Consulting Group, Nancy Smith of the Vera Institute and Russell Strand of the U.S. Army Military Police School advance the message.

Oct. 7, 2015: Attorney General’s Office awards more than $51 million to 307 crime victim service providers as part of the “Ohio Attorney General’s Expanding Services and Empowering Victims Initiative.”

Dec. 29, 2015: Attorney General DeWine announces that more than $1.2 million in grants have been awarded to assist victims of sexual assault on Ohio campuses.

Feb. 18, 2016: Attorney General DeWine reports that forensic scientists with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) have tested 10,000 rape kits for DNA as part of the Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Kit Testing Initiative. The testing has led to 3,629 hits in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).