Ultimately, the focus of capital crime is the loss of human life.
“The consequence of murder – the loss of life, and the impact on those who loved and depended on the murder victim – is the harm that gives rise to a capital prosecution. Capital prosecutions often have other purposes, such as retribution, the advancement of political agendas, purported societal protection, or ill-conceived efforts to redress particular societal breakdowns such as drug or gang-related violence. However, the fundamental harm – the loss of life and impact on survivors – is the reason a prosecution commences.” - Richard Burr (2006)
Defense-Initiated Victim Outreach (DIVO) is a service paid for by a defense team in which a DIVO Specialist is hired to reach out to victim-survivors of capital crimes (typically murder), helps to support them in the loss of their loved one, and act as the link between the victim-survivor and the defense team.
Currently, DIVO is used strictly in capital cases and is intended to be a victim-centered approach which reduces the trauma experienced by victim-survivors as a result of the loss of their loved and the adversarial nature of criminal proceeding in the legal system.
The Georgia Council for Restorative Justice (GCRJ) is the leading organization on DIVO practice. Our social worker, Athan Schindler, has been selected by the University of Texas Institute for Restorative Justice & Restorative Dialogue to be trained by the GCRJ as a DIVO Specialist.
See our DIVO Reference page for all quote references. |
