Favoring rapists over victims

For the past seven years I have dedicated my time to working at the YWCA Patterson and McDaniel Family Center in Glendale Heights, which serves survivors of sexual violence throughout DuPage County 365 days a year center.

During our continuing budget crisis I have championed for a responsible budget. We are not asking for raises at our center but we are asking that our finances be restored. Over the past three years we have been cut by $50,601 which I have watched impact our center by losing counseling hours for survivors and prevention education hours for our staff that go out to the schools and provide vital programs for our youth.

The proposed budget of $581,000 for rape crisis centers would be devastating. These funds are divided among 33 rape crisis centers and their 27 satellite offices. Our center provides free, confidential counseling and advocacy services to any woman, man or child who has experienced sexual violence. We are running on minimal staff and have nowhere to cut without our center being decimated.

I have an answer to where we can cut money in the budget: Illinois spends $29 million a year to serve 250 sex offenders, or $129,000 per offender, in the Sexually Violent Persons Program.

This is a disgrace. We spend only $5.8 million to serve victims. If we cut $1 million from the offenders program. we could restore our funding to victims. What would it mean for sex offenders ... not having dessert for the night? Why does our state opt to fund services for rapists ahead of services for victims?

With the elections over it is now time to fix our state. That includes making hard choices and restoring what has been chipped away.

Everyone needs to realize how important social services are and find creative ways to restore funding.

Colleen Heflin

Woodridge