Victims of Crime and Leniency
You may feel like no one else knows what you are going through.
We know the path you are traveling is hard.
No one has to fight this battle alone.
We are here to help you.
Don't miss the 2023 Golf Classic!
We need you support to continue the work of VOCAL.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Contact Jerry Renfroe at 334-399-0900,
or Kelly Wills at
[email protected]
1-800-239-3210
334-262-7197
334-332-6240
VOCAL's "Angels in the Kitchen" Cookbook is still a work in progress. We have had so many people ask to add recipes that we have waited on going to print. If you would like to add recipes, along with a photo, please send them to [email protected] or call us at 334-262-7197 if you have questions.
We want a special recipe book in memory of our loved ones or in honor of things or places we love like Alabama or Auburn Football, the State of Alabama, a special vacation or holiday.
Recent Changes in Crime Victim Related Law
Amendment 1: Denying bail to defendants charged with violent crimes
Known as Aniah’s Law, Amendment 1 would allow judges to deny bail to individuals charged with any of the following 13 first-degree violent crimes: capital murder, murder, kidnapping, rape, sexual torture, sodomy, domestic violence, human trafficking, burglary, robbery, arson, terrorism and aggravated child abuse.
The amendment actually expands upon a constitutional provision that allows judges to deny bail for defendants charged with capital offenses, such as murder. The amendment would make clear that all of the violent crimes listed would fall under that jurisdiction.
The law is named after Homewood-native Aniah Blanchard, a 19-year-old student at Southern Union State Community College who was abducted in Auburn in late 2019 and later killed. The man accused of her murder was out on bail awaiting his trial for a previous kidnapping case.
Revocation of bail would not be automatic. Before a decision could made, the judge would have to hold a hearing, allowing both prosecutors and defense attorneys to present evidence in the case.
What Sets Us Apart
At VOCAL, we have been helping victims and their rights for more than four decades. We’re an advocacy group for victims’ rights.
On the 45th anniversary of her daughter's death, Miriam Shehane shares the story of Quenette, and the effect her life had on crime victims in Alabama. VOCAL, Victims of Crime and Leniency was born from the tragedy that the Shehane family endured and their willingness to allow Quenette's legacy to help those who came after them.
If you are a victim of crime or a surviving family member that has received notice of a parole hearing or if you need information regarding the parole or pardon process, you can contact VOCAL at 334-262-7197 or email to [email protected]
Advocates are available to assist you and lodging is available for overnight prior to a hearing at no cost to crime victims.
Amendment 3: Notification of commutation
Amendment 3 would require the governor to provide notice to the attorney general and the victim’s family prior to granting a reprieve or commutation to a person sentenced to death. It also voids the reprieve or commutation if the governor does not provide notice.
The current constitution gives the governor of Alabama the power to commute a death sentence to life imprisonment or issue a reprieve from an execution. The amendment would not otherwise limit or restrict the governor’s ability to grant reprieves or commutations.
The amendment would place restrictions on a power that Alabama governors rarely use. According to the Montgomery Advertiser, Fob James is the only Alabama governor to have commuted a death sentence since the state resumed carrying out executions in 1983.
Almost 17 years after Lisa Ann Millican, 13, was raped and murdered, her family was told to prepare: The state soon would set an execution date for the woman a DeKalb County jury had convicted of brutally killing Lisa.
Instead, the family got a "complete sucker punch" from then-Gov. Fob James, Cassie Millican said. A few days before leaving office in 1999, James commuted Judith Ann Neelley's death sentence to life in prison. Alabama laws at the time meant not only would Neelley escape execution, but she would also be eligible for parole.
ACLU Parole Watch Report
Credit to: Alabama Political Reporter ACLU releases new Parole Watch Report (alreporter.com) View Report: New Report Exposes Parole Board Behavior and Outcomes | ACLU of Alabama (aclualabama.org) A new Parole Watch Report by the ACLU of Alabama identified multiple trends that could be contributing to Alabama’s ongoing low parole grant rate. The Parole Watch Team…
Alabama Expands Missing and Endangered Person Alert to Include Abducted Adults
Governor Kay Ivey has signed into law an expanded version of Alabama’s Missing and Endangered Persons Alert, now to include an adult that has been abducted, effective Friday, Sept. 1. Previously, the criteria for a Missing and Endangered Person Alert stated that a person must be missing and living with a mental or physical disability,…
Governor Ivy Awards One Million Dollars to Alabama Crime Victims Compensation Commission
The Alabama Crime Victims Compensation Commission is excited to announce that Governor Kay Ivey has awarded ACVCC one million dollars from the Governor’s Office Emergency Fund. This money will go towards conquering the backlog of claims submitted by victims of violent crime. Executive Director Everette Johnson stated, “Governor Ivey has heard the cries for help…
Together We Can!
VOCAL can provide:
- Safety & Refuge for Victims in Alabama
Victims of Crime and Leniency (VOCAL) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization established in 1982. We are an advocacy group for victims’ rights consisting of concerned citizens, victims of crime and their families, law enforcement officers, attorneys, and others interested in reducing crime and improving the plight of its victims.
- Public Education & Awareness
VOCAL Angel House advocates for victims’ rights and services for victims of violent crime, providing direct services to victims and their families and public education and awareness.
- Victim Advocates
Our advocates work closely with the staff in all phases of the Criminal Justice System, assisting with tasks such as:
