Press Release  Massachusetts Probation Service Hosts Victims Rights Panel Discussion In Honor of Victims’ Rights Week

Massachusetts — The Massachusetts Probation Service will host a panel discussion, “Post Conviction Services for Victims and Survivors of Crime in Massachusetts,” in honor of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 10th-16th.

The discussion will take place Thursday, April 14th, from 2 to 4 p.m, in the Saxe Room of the Worcester Public Library, 3 Salem Square, Worcester. This Victim’s Rights event, the first Probation has hosted, will also feature a resource table with information about the services each agency offers those who are the victims of crime and their families.

“The Massachusetts Probation Service is making services for victims of crime a central aspect of its mission. This panel discussion brings to the table representatives from various agencies who by working together can make a profound difference in the lives of crime victims, survivors and the community-at-large,” said Probation Commissioner Edward J. Dolan.

Probation’s Victim Witness Coordinator Corinn Nelson will moderate the panel. The panelists will include representatives from victim witness units across the Commonwealth. The following are among the participants who will discuss the services their agencies provide, the importance of the Victim Bill of Rights in their work as well as the future of victims rights in the Bay State.

• Sheila Kelley, Victim Services Unit Director at the Department of Corrections
• Michaela Dunne, Law Enforcement Unit Director at the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS)
• Marie-Elena Edwards, Victim Services and Employee Support Services Director at the Department of Youth Services
• Jeffy Ryan, Victim Services Coordinator at the Barnstable County House of Correction
• Liam Lowney, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA)
• Julie Devlin, Victim Services Unit Director at the Massachusetts Parole Board
• Judy Norton, Victim Services Unit Director at the Sex Offender Registry Board (SORB)

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