Crime Victims Honored

Rape, robbery, assault and homicide all fall under the FBI's violent crime category. MPB's Lawayne Childrey reports how crime victims and survivors are calling for tougher violent crime legislation.

Christmas will never be the same for JR Unger of Clinton who lost his son, James 5 months ago.

Unger believes the incident could have possibly been avoided if the perpetrators had been weeded out early in life. That's why he's calling for legislation that would mandate counseling for families of troubled youth.

The most recent FBI DATA on violent crimes shows that in 2005 Mississippi ranked 36 out of fifty states. Beginning next July Attorney general Jim hood says new legislation will allow victims to receive temporary housing through the victims compensation division.

Carolyn Clayton is the Executive Director of Survival Inc. a support group for surviving family members of homicide. She wants judges to have more discretion to move a trial to another county in order to gleam a fair jury.

Justice officials say that in 2005 there were 278 violent crimes committed for every 100 thousand people. For MPB News, I'm Lawayne Childrey.