JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A group of Jacksonville crime survivors headed to the state Capitol Monday to join hundreds of others from around the state for the second annual “Survivors Speak” event.
Around 50 people left from East 28thStreet Monday morning to make the trip to Tallahassee.
It's part of a national push called Survivors Speak, which calls for criminal justice reform and policy changes to make communities safer while providing better support for crime victims.
According to Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, many crime victims don’t get the proper help they need to recover.
In fact, a survey found two out of every three crime victims did not get any help after experiencing the trauma of the incident.
In addition, a survey found 8 percent of crime victims get help from a victim service agency. Making resources available to crime survivors to properly recover is one step to improve the public safety system and end the cycle of crime, according to the Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice.
Several crime survivors are expected to speak at the rally, including survivors from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and Pulse nightclub shootings.
A press conference will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. from the State Capitol.