Violent crime victims and grieving family members rally while pushing for expanded compensation access

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Dozens of survivors of violent crime and loved ones of those who can no longer speak for themselves took their message to the front steps of Alabama’s State Capitol Tuesday.

“It’s personal to me because I’m a survivor as well,” said state Rep. Travis Hendrix (D-Birmingham). “I lost two brothers to gun violence, so when I tell y’all I understand, I understand.”

The group marched a short way from near Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church to the Capitol building, while chanting “When survivors speak, change happens.”

Leaders say they’re not marching for pity; they’re marching to make a difference.

One such difference would be the passage of Senate Bill 192.

That bill would allow victims and their families to file a claim for their share of the Alabama Crime Victims Compensation Fund for up to two years after the crime. Currently, the deadline is one year.

“Within that one year... a person that was impacted, there’s no way that you’re thinking about filling out an application,” said Roselyn Johnson, who lost her son to gun violence in 2020.

Ginny Morgan can also tell you that from first-hand experience after her husband, David, was shot and killed in 2022.

“I was told by an employee there that I did not qualify for victim’s compensation, so I did not continue to fill out the form,” Morgan remembers. “I found out maybe six months after that I actually did qualify, however, there’s a one-year limit. At that point, the year had passed.”

The group is also pushing for Alabama to open trauma recovery centers.

According to the National Association of Trauma Recovery Centers, there are 53 nationwide, but none in Alabama. The closest is in Atlanta.

SB192 has passed a Senate committee but still needs to pass the full Senate before heading to the Alabama House of Representatives for consideration.

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