I firmly believe it is important that victims are notified of their assailant’s release. Words can not describe or explain what Rebecca Bourdon went through in the hands of her estranged husband, Ryan Bourdon. Being stabbed eight times and having her both lungs punctured are permanent reminders of the brutality her husband put her through. Ryan’s release without notifying Rebecca puts her life in danger. It is evident that Rebecca was not prepared to have Ryan freed since she was ready to state her case to have Ryan locked up. Both victims and their families should be notified of assailant’s release to take necessary cautionary measures. A victim of domestic violence has a right to be notified of the assailant’s release as provided for in the Maine Criminal code. Ryan’s release without Rebecca being informed is a violation of a victims right to be heard. The law gives a victim of domestic violence the freedom to attend trial as well as provide a statement on the impact of an event to his or her life.
In Rebecca’s case, Ryan’s sentence was more than nine months, and therefore she could have filled out a release notification request. The assailant release notification request form can be obtained from the victim witness advocate at the district attorney’s office. The notification form can also be accessed and filled out from the Department of Corrections Victim Services website. I find the Declaration of Conduct mode of notifying Rebecca ineffective. A telephone call or even an email would have a higher chance of reaching Rebecca timely compared to sending her a letter. By sending Rebecca a letter, her right to be treated with dignity, respect and sensitivity are not honored.
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