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LA 242 - Victimology: Letter-Writing Resources: Victims' Rights and Civil Justice Organizations

A Research Guide for Professor Keith Singer's Victimology Class

Demos.org Advocacy Letters

About Demos:

Demos is a public policy organization working for an America where we all have an equal say in our democracy and an equal chance in our economy.

Demos’ work is guided by three overarching commitments:

  • Achieving true democracy by reducing the role of money in politics and guaranteeing the freedom to vote,
  • Creating pathways to ensure a diverse, expanded middle class in a new, sustainable economy, and
  • Transforming the public narrative to elevate the values of community and racial equity.

(Full statement of purpose here.)

ACLU Fighting Police Abuse Manual

About the ACLU:

For nearly 100 years, the ACLU has been our nation’s guardian of liberty, working in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.

Whether it’s achieving full equality for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people; establishing new privacy protections for our digital age of widespread government surveillance; ending mass incarceration; or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion; the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people from government abuse and overreach.

With more than a million members, activists, and supporters, the ACLU is a nationwide organization that fights tirelessly in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. to safeguard everyone’s rights.

(Full statement of purpose here.)

ACLU Police Abuse Prevention GuideThe ACLU provides a Community Action Manual on Fighting Abuse by Police

Fortune Society Advocacy Kits

About the Fortune Society:

The Fortune Society’s mission is to support successful reentry from prison and promote alternatives to incarceration, thus strengthening the fabric of our communities.

Founded in 1967, The Fortune Society’s vision is to create a world where all who are incarcerated or formerly incarcerated can become positive, contributing members of society. We do this through a holistic, one-stop model of service provision. Our continuum of care, informed and implemented by professionals with cultural backgrounds and life experiences similar to those of our clients, helps ensure their success.

(Full statement of purpose here.)

New York City Civil Service Agencies

 Go to the HRA/DSS Help Page, or read the Guide to Services below.
The New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA)/Department of Social Services (DSS) is the nation’s largest social services agency, assisting over three million New Yorkers annually through the administration of more than 12 major public assistance programs, including: 
  • Economic support and social services for families and individuals through the administration of major benefit programs (Cash Assistance, Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program benefits [ food stamps ] , Medicaid, and Child Support Services);
  • Homelessness prevention assistance, educational, vocational and employment services, assistance for persons
    with disabili ties, services for immigrants, civil legal assistance, and disaster relief; and
  • For the most vulnerable New Yorkers: HIV/AIDS Services, Adult Protective Services, Home Care , and programs for
    survivors of domestic violence.

SocialNeedsRX.org Sample Advocacy Letter

 

How You Can Be An Advocate

What Is Advocacy?

Advocacy is the act or process of advocating or supporting a cause or proposal. Through both direct aid to families and broader-based policy work, the goal of patient advocacy is to foster the self-empowerment of families by educating them about their rights and benefits for which they are eligible.

 

NYC Community Resources Database

Sample Letter to Request Services

An advocacy letter should contain the following elements:

1. Specific nature of the problem.

2. The rule, law, or requirement involved (if known).

3. Description of how the specific problem and the applicable rule relate to patient's condition.

4. Specific consequences of the diagnosis (e.g., ER visits).

5. Request for action.

Dear Landlord:

I am writing to request that you fix the leaky radiator pipes in Jane Smith's apartment. Jane is my patient and lives at 123 Moldy Way. Jane is asthmatic and allergic to molds.

A Board of Health inspection found mold in the bedroom. The inspector found that the leaky pipes caused the mold. Jane's asthma is worsened by her allergy to mold. Mold can cause a restriction of her airways, which can lead to hospitalization or death.

The Board of Health requires that all leased housing be free of chronic dampness. This apartment is not free of chronic dampness. The mold in the apartment, therefore, violates the law against chronic dampness in addition to significantly worsening Jane's health.

I request that you immediately remedy this problem by fixing the leaky radiators. Please contact me at (XXX) XXX-XXXX if you have any questions. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Dr. Joan Pediatrician

cc: Family

Medical Records

Lawyer

                THIS RESEARCH OR "LIBGUIDE" WAS PRODUCED BY THE LIBRARIANS OF MONROE UNIVERSITY