MORGANTOWN — Being the victim of a crime can be overwhelming. The legal system can be complicated and stressful, but since 1985 the Monongalia County Victim Assistance Program (VAP) has been helping victims make their voices heard in the courtroom.
Danielle Kitchen, program coordinator, said the program works with all crime victims, from sexual assault and abuse victims to those who’ve been the victims of theft or an assault. One of the primary duties of the program is to help victims write their victim impact statements, which is a victim’s opportunity to describe how the crime has affected them physically, mentally and emotionally.
A representative from the VAP is present in every motion, sentencing and plea hearing, arraignment or trial involving a victim. They track the case’s progress and inform the victim about its status.
“This is quite literally your voice in the case,” Kitchen tells victims of the impact statements.
And there are a lot of cases. Kitchen said that there’s been roughly a 30 percent increase in the number of victims since 2015. As Monongalia County grows, so does crime and the number of people affected by crime.
The program does important work, Kitchen said, noting that there is a person behind every police report. In addition to helping victims with their impact statements, the VAP connects them to any resources they might need to deal with the aftermath of a crime.
The program isn’t large, but Kitchen said the county is fortunate to have it at all — many counties don’t. The VAP employs just two full-time employees, Kitchen and an assistant coordinator. There are also between four and six interns each semester and this year, summer interns for the first time.
Nicole Delaney, intern, said she loves helping people and she didn’t think the program would become such a big part of her life. She said she wants to continue to be an advocate for victims and those dealing with the criminal justice system after graduation.
The majority of the program’s funding comes from the Victims of Crimes Act, a law enacted in 1984 with the purpose of helping victims of crime in ways other than punishment of a criminal. Kitchen said the Monongalia County Prosecutor’s Office also subsidizes the program. Sometimes as part of a sentence, criminals are ordered to make a one-time payment to the VAP and that money is used to pay for emergency relocations, Kitchen said.
Victims of domestic battery and children involved in cases are most commonly relocated, she said.
Monongalia County Prosecutor Perri Jo DeChristopher said the work the VAP does is vital in supporting victims.
“We appreciate the hard work and dedication of program coordinator Danielle Kitchen and her staff,” DeChristopher said.
