My husband falls under the Victim Notification Act. But the victim has long been dead, so where do we stand? I e-mailed, wrote and called and all my responses have been, "We cannot take your word for that information" so is there anyone that I can contact, or do. If there is no victim, the state is only wasteing time and money. Can anyone help?

Small Town,
All I know is about my own situation. Like you, there are no victims in my husband's case still alive. I have the obituary notices of the victims and I sent those to the Board with a letter explaining it. I thought it would speed things up for them, and it will, but not until they ever get round to scheduling him. (We've only been overdue since this past January). The woman in the victim notification unit told me that it was imperative that they have SOMEBODY to notify and that if I knew ANYONE who's name I could send them (and address of course) that would save a lot of time since they would look until they did have a victim to notify. I'm glad I found this out because it would have been much longer while they searched for someone. Thankfully we have two names. They are "further down the list" of who would be considered a direct victim but when I explained to her who they were and how they were connected, they was encouraged and said that is JUST what we will need. So anyhow, that's our experience.

Care

ya know, sounds to me like the state is making up victims...which sucks

Thanks for the reply to my question, and ragland, I will try that, at this stage anything is worth trying. Thats about all we can do is try, and then it seems that they just ignor us completely, but what they fail to realize or even care about is that we are victims to, even if it is by choice for loving someone that made mistakes. I often wonder What About Us, but it is plan that we do not matter, because they feel we had a choice, which in reality 'we did not' because we did not chose to fall in love with someone that was prone to make major mistakes. But life goes on, and we continue to hold on, what else can we do but give up and then what would our love ones do but give up to and that could only lead to diaster, so we keep pressing forward, because surely there is sunshine behind the dark cloud. When hope and prayer is all we have, and faith to keep both going.

i think you may have misunderstood what i said sweety, i wasnt suggesting to make up victims, i was saying that the state seems to be making them up....if they are insistant that there has to be a victim and the victim is dead then they are wanting just anyone to step into that and that just seems like they are making them up to me....hope that clears up any confusion, i wish you all the best dear

What happened to HB539???? If the victim has passed they should move on within a reasonable amount of time. If you know where the victim died and the name go to the local newspaper and ask for someone to help you look up an obituary on the person make a copy of it, make sure to keep a copy to put up and send it to the parole board and ask them about HB539.

Also I think that you can go to the court house public records and request a copy of the death certificate I think it is like $10.00 or something. I think that is still public knowledge you can look it up on Al state website if it is and where to go or who to call and ask. I know here you can marriage, divorce, birth, death and all that is public knowledge for a small fee. DOesn't hurt to try that avenue. Good Luck!

Thanks for all the info on the victim notification thing, we are still waiting for a date, we are seven months behind now, we were due to come up in Nov. of 2003 which makes us seven months behind, but counting from the last hearing date, we have been waiting 18 months with no relief in sight, because they keep saying that 'we are working on it, we are just behind" Do they ever catch-up? Its just a hurry-up-and-wait thing. I will keep trying and if anyone learns anything new, please post it, this is really my only link to information, because the system does not supply any, keep us in your prayers. Just for the record, my husband has did 22 straight years. I have been waiting 15 of them.

ragland, you were not confussing, it was I that made the mistake, I was reply to the sugguesting of someone else and by mistake put your name it. Sorry about that.:mad: And thanks again for at least responding. My mind gets confussed sometime trying to deal with those people that seem determained to keep my husband forever. i think you may have misunderstood what i said sweety, i wasnt suggesting to make up victims, i was saying that the state seems to be making them up....if they are insistant that there has to be a victim and the victim is dead then they are wanting just anyone to step into that and that just seems like they are making them up to me....hope that clears up any confusion, i wish you all the best dear

I know it does seem like they are never going to catch up or that they are "always behind" but this is the first time in the 26 years that my husband has been in prison that they've been THIS delayed. The most I ever remember was like 3 months. And it wasn't that long ago that we were told they were 22 months behind, remember? So they really ARE catching up but I am sure it is slow moving when there are soooooo many. We've only been waiting since January 2004 but it feels so much longer when it is the first time in all these years that his home plan is so flawless and he has served more than 25 on a life with parole possibility. For those of us who are anticipating a hearing, each day clicking by brings us closer. I feel optimistic today, so please forgive me for SOUNDING like I am minimizing the pain of waiting because I am not. Some days it is really horrible; just that today doesn't seem so bad. Of course, it is still early in the day. :-)

Care

Hi Small Town,have you tried calling and talking to Marti at the victims unit lately?