For Victim Services -...

— Victims’ Focused —

From the Director of Victim Services The Board’s Victim Services’ Division was

instituted on September 1, 1993, by then

Parole Officer Cindy Jenkins. She was told

that she would be in that role temporarily for

3-6 months and her primary responsibility

would be to develop a victim impact

statement (VIS) form which had become a

state mandate (June 1993). The VIS became

available by January 1994; the temporary

position subsequently became a full-time

assignment and Cindy was promoted to

Parole Program Specialist.

Some of the Board’s Victim Services’

Division “Firsts” include:

Four (4) Regional Coordinators

November 1, 1994: Maryanne Brooks

(retired), Sue Tester, Susan Shettlesworth,

Ann Myers (retired);

Victims’ Statewide Seminars in 1995;

Victims’ Rights Week recognized by the

Board of Paroles 1996;

Victim Council was established with other

state agencies (1997);

Victim Services’ Manual (100 pages)

completed 2001;

Tennessee Season to Remember Annual

Event honoring homicide victims (2003);

Victim Impact Class Development with

then TDOC Victim Director Cheryl

Demott;

Video Conferencing (2005);

What to Expect at Parole Hearings

Brochure (2008);

Tree Planting Ceremonies (2008) during

National Crime Victims’ Rights Week;

Victims’ Website (2009);

Vision and Voice Newsletter (2014);

Statewide Victims’ Services Meetings

(2015);

National Recognition – National Crime

Victims’ Rights Award (2018)

Cindy Jenkins was the Director of VS for

over 17 years. The Board has only had three

(3) Directors: Cindy Jenkins (September

1993 – November 2010), she is currently a

Telecommunications Manager for TDOC;

Jennifer Brinkman (November 2010 –

January 2012), she is currently the

Director of Office of Criminal Justice

Programs; and Tina Fox (January 2012 to

date).

This 25 year history of serving the needs

of crime victims has been steadfast with the

goal and vision never wavering:

GOAL STATEMENT: THE GOAL OF BOP

VICTIM SERVICES DIVISION IS TO

EDUCATE AND SUPPORT VICTIMS ON

THE PAROLE PROCESS, FULFILL THE

LAWS THAT PROTECT THEIR RIGHTS,

AND TO ADDRESS IMMEDIATE PUBLIC

SAFETY CONCERNS.

VISION STATEMENT: THE VISION IS TO

ENSURE THE VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS

OF CRIME VOICES ARE HEARD, VALUED,

AND INCLUDED IN A COLLECTIVE EFFORT

TO HOLD OFFENDERS ACCOUNTABLE,

PREVENT FUTURE HARM, AND ENHANCE

COMMUNITY SAFETY.

The Board’s VS Division has been and still

is Victims’ Focused for twenty-five (25)

years! Happy 25th Anniversary!

TENNESSEE BOARD OF PAROLE

September 4, 2018 Volume 5 Issue 9

The Vision and Voice

For

Victim Services

Inside this Issue:

In the Spotlight: Shelby

County VWC Director

Amy McCullough

Parole Action

Notifications

September: Suicide

Prevention Month

National Night Out 2018

BOP V. S. Monthly

Statistics August 2018

Announcements

Board of Parole’s Victim Services Division Serving Crime Victims of Tennessee since 1993


Let’s Meet… Amy McCullough,

Director of the Victim/Witness Unit,

30th Judicial District, Shelby County

The Vision and Voice Volume 5 Issue 9

Amy McCullough began working with victims in 1996 when

she was hired as an Assistant Victim/Witness Coordinator at

the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office.

Throughout her career in the DA’s office, she has served

victims in General Sessions Court and Criminal Court. She

was assigned to the Violent Crime Prosecution Unit, and for

many years, she worked on the first-degree murder cases in

Shelby County.

While in those roles, she was also the Assistant Director of

the Victim Witness Unit. In 2013, District Attorney General

Amy Weirich named Amy McCullough as the Director of the

Victim/Witness Unit. In this role, she supervises the

22 Victim/Witness Coordinators in the Unit, as well as

continuing to work on some murder-first degree cases.

Last year, Amy was part of the Shelby County prosecution

team that received the President’s Award for its work on the

Holly Bobo murder trial. The annual award is given each year

by vote of Tennessee’s 31 elected District Attorneys as

members of the Tennessee District Attorneys General

Conference.

“Amy spent many months keeping track of the state’s long

list of potential witnesses, many of whom lived outside of

Tennessee,” said General Weirich. “The President’s Award

was a tribute to Amy’s work ethic, her organizational talent

and her people skills.

Those are the same

qualities that make her

so valuable in every

case.”

Amy, along with her

staff, plan the Season

of Remembrance

holiday event honoring

S h e l b y C o u n t y

homicide victims at

City Hall. In addition to

her duties in her office,

she also travels to

Nashville to serve as a

member of the District Attorney’s

Conference Victim/Witness Steering

Committee.

Amy McCullough graduated from

the University of Memphis with a

Bachelor’s degree in Criminal

Justice. She is married and is the

mom to 10-year-old twins.

Amy McCullough

Parole Action Notifications

The Board of Parole provides services to crime victims

who are navigating the parole process. Crime victims have

the right to be notified of parole hearings involving offenders

in their case(s). However, victims must register with the

Board of Parole to receive these services.

In accordance with Tennessee law, the Board of Parole

Victim Services Division will not release any identifying

information on registered victims of crime, their family

members and/or registered interested members of the

public. All information is kept confidential. Our key goal is to

assure victims' legal rights are being upheld throughout the

parole process.

The mission of the Victim Services Division is to provide

information, assistance, and support to victims of crime and

other concerned parties in order to participate fully in the

parole process. These services will be administered with

respect and compassion and help lessen the negative

experience of victimization.

If you would like to be registered for notifications of

parole hearings, decisions, and potential release on

community supervision or have any questions, you may call

us toll free at 866.795.7467 or via email:

[email protected].

We are victims’ focused!

mailto:[email protected]

— Victims’ Focused — PAGE 3


September: Suicide Prevention Month

Most suicidal people give definite warning signals of

their suicidal intentions, but others are often unaware of

the significance of these warnings or unsure what to do

about them. Talking about suicide does not cause someone to

become suicidal. Four times more men than women kill themselves, but

three times more women than men attempt suicide. Firearms are the most common method of suicide

regardless of sex and race. Suicide cuts across ethnic, economic, social and age

boundaries. Surviving family members not only suffer the loss of a

loved one to suicide, but are also themselves at higher

risk of suicide and emotional problems. THE LINKS BETWEEN DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE

Major depression is the psychiatric diagnosis most

commonly associated with suicide. About two-thirds people who die by suicide are clinically

depressed at the time of their deaths. Statistically, one out of every sixteen people who are

diagnosed with depression (about seven out of every

100 diagnosed males and one out of every hundred

diagnosed females) will eventually die by suicide. The risk of suicide in people with major depression is

about 20 times that of the general population. People who have had multiple episodes of depression

are at greater risk for suicide than those who have had

one episode. People who have a dependence on alcohol or drugs in

addition to being depressed are at greater risk for

suicide. People who are depressed and exhibit the following

symptoms are at particular risk for suicide:

1. Extreme hopelessness

2. A lack of interest in activities that were previously

pleasurable

3. Heightened anxiety and/or panic attacks

4. Global insomnia

5. Talk about suicide or a prior history of attempts/acts 6. Irritability and agitation

In the United States alone, someone dies by suicide once

every 12 minutes. Suicide is the second leading cause of

death for youth between the ages of 10 and 24. But because

suicide has been considered such a “taboo” subject to think

or to talk about, there are a lot of misconceptions about

which individuals may be at risk, about when, how and why

people might consider killing themselves, and about how

best to help yourself of someone else who’s contemplating

suicide. According to the 2011 Youth Risk Behavioral Survey

in Tennessee, over 1 out of 7 youth seriously considered

suicide and almost 1 out of 16 made an attempt. Almost all

young people who are contemplating suicide show clear

signs before the attempt. If educators are trained to

recognize these signs, we have a good chance to identify and

help at risk youth.

This misinformation – or the lack of information altogether

– often means that desperate people can’t get the help they

need in times of crisis. Being well-informed about depression

and suicide can help you save your own life or the life of

someone you know or love!

FACTS

Suicide is the tenth-leading cause of death (2016 data)

in Tennessee, claiming over 1,000 lives per year.

Roughly 100 of these are between the age of 10-24—

suicide is the second-leading cause of death within this

age group. Nationally, suicide rates among youth (ages 15-24) have

increased more than 200% in the last fifty years. The suicide rate is higher for the elderly (ages 85+) than

for any other age group. Suicide is preventable. Most suicidal people desperately

want to live; they are just unable to see alternatives to

their problems.



Nat ional Night Out , the annual community-building initiative to

bring community members and law enforcement officials together to build

camaraderie, took place this year on Tuesday, August 7, 2018.

The annual event, held the first Tuesday in August each year, is

organized by the National Association of Town Watch, a nonprofit

membership organization dedicated to community building. In 2018, the

event’s 35th year, it was expected that 38 million people in 16,000

communities across the U.S. participated including in Tennessee.

National Night Out 2018

Photos captured from the Nashville,

Davidson County, and Memphis,

Shelby County NATIONAL NIGHT OUT

events. 38 million people in 16,000

communities across the U. S. were

predicted to have participated in the

annual national event.

https://natw.org/



Announcements

SSUPPORTUPPORT YHTP YHTP WITHWITH YYOUROUR BBACKACK--TTOO--SSCHOOLCHOOL SSHOPPINGHOPPING!! Back to school season is here, and there's a way you can save on supplies and clothes while supporting You Have the Power! By joining Amazon Smile, you can arrange to have a portion of your purchase price donated to YHTP. To join Amazon Smile and select us as your non-profit of choice:

Log on to Amazon Smile at smile.amazon.com using your existing Amazon account

In the box where it says "Pick your own charitable organization",

type the words "You Have the Power... Know How to Use It" and hit the search button

Make sure to select the agency located in Nashville, as there's an

agency in St. Paul with a very similar name.

Click the disclaimer about starting at Amazon Smile to have your

purchases count towards your charitable contribution.

Start shopping!

https://t.e2ma.net/click/klg9bd/cnwwnr/svt0w2

https://t.e2ma.net/click/klg9bd/cnwwnr/8nu0w2



Announcements



Announcements

S A V E T H E D A T E

Pearls& P instr ipes Gala

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2018 MUSIC CITY CENTER, NASHVILLE

DINNER, DRINKS, LIVE BAND, AUCTION

Benefiting

TN COALITION TO END DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE

Celebrating 35 years of service Information at tncoalition.org

@TNcoalition #PearlsandPins18



Announcements

Academy for Women of Achievement

Thursday, October 11 | 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Music City Center | Davidson Ballroom

Each year, the YWCA honors a select group of women who are

dedicated to improving our community and the lives of women,

children, and families living in it. On Thursday, October 11th, we will be honoring our 2018

class during the 27th annual AWA ceremony. Proceeds from the Academy for Women of

Achievement ceremony fund YWCA domestic violence programs and services.

2018 Connecting for Children's Justice Conference

October 14-16, 2018

Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center in Murfreesboro, TN

The 2018 Connecting for Children's Justice Conference is Tennessee's largest event focused on child

maltreatment. We are excited about the diversity of speakers and topics offered this year. For more

information about the conference- please visit our website at http://www.tnccjconference.org.

Please complete the registration form in its entirety. You will receive a confirmation email when you

successfully register. Attendees may pay by check or credit card. To pay by check click on "show other

payment options" below the "order now" button.

***If paying by check, TNCAC will not recognize your registration until we receive payment. We will send

an additional email to the attendee when the payment is processed.

Mail checks made out to TNCAC with your registration email confirmation to:

TNCAC ATTN CCJ

4711 Trousdale Dr., Ste 124

Nashville, TN 37220

Include the names of attendees on the memo line.

If you have any questions, email LaShonda Randolph at [email protected].

We look forward to hosting you at the conference!

http://www.tnccjconference.org/




BOP Victim Services’ Goal: To be recognized as a leader in providing

victim services of educating and supporting victims on the parole

process, fulfilling the laws that govern/protect their rights and

addressing any immediate public safety concerns —

“Victims Focused.”

Announcements

NEXT V ICT IM C OORDINATORS ’ T ELECONFERENCE :

TUESDAY , NOVEMBER 13, 2018

1 :00 P .M . CST/2:00 P .M . EST

Happy Birthday! September 2018

RYAN L INDSAY 15

KEVIN KARAS 25

PARIS W ILSON 27

Tennessee Domestic Violence Hotline - 800-356-6767

National Domestic Violence Hotline - 800.799.SAFE

Battered Women’s Justice Project - 800.903.0111

Mothers Against Drunk Driving - 877.MADD.HELP

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children - 800.843.5678

Tennessee Human Trafficking Hotline—1-855-558-6484

National Human Trafficking Hotline - 888.373.7888

Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund - 615.741.2734

T ENNESSEE B OARD OF PAROLE

VICTIM SERVICES DIVISION

404 JAMES ROBERTSON PKWY, SUITE 1300

NASHVILLE, TN 37243

Phone: 615-532-8112

Toll Free: 866-795-7467

Fax: 615-253-5677

Email: [email protected]

TINA L. FOX, STATE D IRECTOR

[email protected]

CAROLYN PROWELL SCOTT, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY II

[email protected]

The Tennessee Board of Parole’s Victim Services Division is celebrating its 25th Silver

Anniversary! Please be our special guest at a Reception as we reflect on the theme:

From Darkness to Light: Serving and Honoring Victims of CrimeFrom Darkness to Light: Serving and Honoring Victims of CrimeFrom Darkness to Light: Serving and Honoring Victims of Crime.

This event is being held on Wednesday, September 26, 2018, at 1:30 p. m. at the Board of

Parole’s Nashville Central Office (404 James Robertson Parkway – Suite 1300).

Please R.S.V.P. to Tina Fox at 615‐532‐8116 or at [email protected] no later

than Wednesday, September 19, 2018, to let us know if you can attend.

We hope you will be able to join us for this celebration!We hope you will be able to join us for this celebration!We hope you will be able to join us for this celebration!


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